Utopia Unmade
by teawithmugi
Summary: This place should be a wonderland; a kingdom ruled and protected by the Precure. But this paradise seems rotten: the Desert Apostles are an ever-present threat, the war against the Bad End Kingdom took its toll on the Pretty Cures, and Cure Moonlight has gone missing. Fantasy AU covering the series from Fresh to Smile.
1. Blossom I

With vigilant steps Tsubomi set foot in the Sunflower Aegis. She kept repeating to herself that she was not Tsubomi anymore, but Cure Blossom. It was hard to give up her own identity, though, no matter how hard she tried. I do not belong here, no, not at all.

She hurried past the sentinels, avoiding their gaze. Tsubomi knew that they were judging her, she knew exactly what they were thinking; you are only here because your grandmother was a Precure as well, not because of any personal talent. She knew it was not true, she had trained for long, but even so she felt like she did not belong. Tsubomi thought of other Cures, and knew that she simply couldn't possibly compare; she was not like Moonlight, who single-handedly stopped the Desert Apostles from breaching the Aegis, nor was she like Muse, who brought peace between the Precure Kingdom and Majorland, and she certainly wasn't like Queen Beauty, elegant, powerful and wise. If she was told that she was history's weakest Precure, Tsubomi would not be surprised.

And they expected her to take Moonlight's place. What a cruel joke!, Tsubomi thought, and what else could it be but a joke? She was not the only one, she heard that two other girls were to replace Moonlight, but talented as they might be, Tsubomi thought it unlikely that they could possibly match her.

The sun shone through the glass ceilings, its rays hitting Tsubomi right in the face. She kept her head down and ignored her surroundings. Ah, how embarrassing, she just remembered how silly her outfit was, and flinched for a second. She was certain the soldiers were laughing at her, she could almost hear it, she knew they'd point at her and mock her. Tsubomi felt ashamed, weak, not good enough. I'm just a shrinking violet, a tiny flower that's not good at anything.

It was so hot; no wonder, they were so close to the desert. Tsubomi felt as if she was baking in the sun, her skin ready to boil at any second. And to think that further north it was even hotter. No wonder the Desert Apostles wanted to take their people beyond the Sunflower Aegis into cooler lands. Tsubomi would not dare to say that, though; it was not acceptable to sympathize with an enemy.

At the great atrium her companions awaited her; a twintailed girl clad in golden yellow, standing proud beside a bored-looking girl who was laying down in the ground, fanning herself and whining. The girl's white and blue outfit was soaking wet, her boots and socks were scattered around. Sunshine and Marine, her partners. Tsubomi approached to greet them, but was too nervous to articulate, so instead she tried to say five sentences at once, and said nothing meaningful.

"Ah," Sunshine turned to her, and smiled, "you are finally here, Tsubomi!"

"Took you long enough," Marine mumbled, without even bothering to look at Tsubomi. Sunshine gave her a reproving look, in vain; Marine was looking only at the ceiling.

"I-I'm sorry I was s-s-so late!" Tsubomi took a long bow. "I was just..."

Don't say you were anxious and scared and spend half an hour crying outside before you gathered to courage to step inside.

"I got lost."

"How? Y-you just had to keep going straight ahead once you got past the rear gate."

"Y-Yes, but I didn't know which 'straight' it was, haha," Tsubomi said. She wanted to disappear from the world, or at least find a nice, deep hole to bury herself in.

"I'm Itsuku Miyoudouin, but I guess from now on Sunshine is more correct..."

Sunshine turned to Marine again, as if she expected the girl to introduce herself. There was nothing but awkward silence. Sunshine gave Marine a gentle kick in the leg, and reluctantly, she got up.

"I'm Erika. Erika Kurumi. Or Cure Marine. But I like Erika better," she said, and promptly returned to the floor.

"It's nice to meet you," Tsubomi bowed again. Erika smirked at that, and Tsubomi thought all sorts of things. Is she pleased? Did she like me? Is she laughing at me? Oh, dear, she is laughing at me! I should say something smart! "It's so hot here."

"Tell me about it!" Erika got up so fast that Tsubomi was startled. "I can try to summon cold water to try to keep cool, but that doesn't help at all because it gets really hot instantly! What a bother!"

"I'm used to this climate," Itsuki said. "Well, that should be obvious, I guess."

Tsubomi nodded. She knew that Itsuki's family held Sunflower Aegis for centuries, assisting the Precure in holding the one passage that connected the Precure Kingdom with the Great Desert, the endless sea of sand that was often a threat to the safety of the Kingdom. The last invasion, spearheaded by Lord Dune, culminated in a month-long siege to Sunflower Aegis where many Precure fell defending their homelands. That day Cure Flower, Tsubomi's grandmother, defeated Dune, slaying him in the middle of the great atrium of the keep. Even so, the Desert Apostles did not die out, instead only gaining even more motivation to strike.

"Where are you from, Tsubomi?"

"Ah, I live in the Garden of Hope, in the heart of the Kingdom, close to the capital. It's a nice little palace," Tsubomi only realized how weird that sounded when she already said it, "pretty calm. And there are lots of gardens there. But, um, I guess you could have assumed that."

"Yes," Erika laughed. "I come from the far south," she pointed to a direction that Tsubomi presumed was the south, "from the great harbor city of Calmtide. My family's not nobility, though, we're just traders. My parents buy lots of cloths and dyes from Märchenland and we sew lots of pretty clothes. I planned on working on that too when I grew older, but it turns out I have lots of potential as a Precure, so it's my sister's business now," she did not seem all too happy with that, but recovered her cheery demeanor a second later.

Itsuki showed the fortress to Erika and Tsubomi; though its ceilings looked like ordinary glass, they were resistant to most attacks. When breached, the corridors of Sunflower Aegis would generate magical shields to halt intruders, and mirrors hidden on the walls would reflect the power of the sun to burn invaders.

Outside the main gate, closer to the Great Desert, were a great many towers and smaller fortresses, and scouts patrolling constantly. Tsubomi could not understand how they could spend so long under the scorching sun on these desert sands, but she supposed that they got used to it. Then she took a good look at a scout as he rode past her; his face was tired, so tired, and he seemed to be in his sixties, even though the Kingdom would only recruit soldiers under forty. Life close to desert really took its toll, and Tsubomi could only wonder how worse it was for the people who lived even farther north. She shrugged off that thought and followed Erika and Itsuki back to the Sunflower Aegis when they were done with the tour.

"Is it always this hot, Itsuki?"

"Oh, no, it gets quite colder during the night. Not as cold as in the Great Desert itself, where it gets really terrible, but it is rather pleasant, I'd say," she looked down at her exposed midriff. "Maybe not that much to me."

Later, when the sun was setting and the air grew colder, the fortress' garrison gathered to eat. Every afternoon, merchants would bring food from the farmlands to the Aegis. It was the only way to keep so many soldiers fed in these infertile lands.

Erika played with her food, while Itsuki ate as fast as she could, with proper etiquette and grace. Tsubomi was too afraid to touch her plate and eat too quickly and be judged a glutton, but she was also afraid of not looking happy while eating and being deemed an ingrate, so she ate slowly with a huge, awkward grin on her face. When Erika saw it, she giggled a little, and Tsubomi could feel her cheeks getting warm, flushing, but instead of making fun of Tsubomi, Erika grinned alongside her. Two smiling idiots, Tsubomi thought, but it wasn't embarrassing anymore.

To their disappointment, however, as soon as dessert was served and they were about to take their first bite, they were called by Iris, one of the commanders of the scouts, who hurried across the mess hall, breathless. She took a moment to compose herself, and could hardly control her excitement as she spoke:

"Lady Sunshine!" She turned to Erika and Tsubomi. "Ladies Marine and Blossom. I have urgent news for you all."

"Are we being attacked?" Itsuki asked, apprehensively.

"No, it is not that," she took another deep breath. "Our scouts have sighted Cure Moonlight in the Great Desert. A soldier was exploring the enemy's lands, and found Lady Moonlight, finally."

"Oh!" Itsuki's face brightened. "So she's safe, after all? Is she heading back?"

Iris hesitated to answer. She bit her lip.

"Moonlight was headed towards enemy territory. When our scouts tried to contact her, she quickly ran from them, and disappeared into the sea of sand."

* * *

_This is a concept that I always had lots of fun with, even if it is a huge departure from typical Precure. I think the setting turned out pretty coherent, though, so I'm glad! I hope you enjoy this, and of course, reviews are very appreciated!_


	2. Marine I

Erika went to sleep with her mind heavy with worry and doubt. She thought of Moonlight for hours until she finally managed to fall asleep. They had all assumed that she had been killed, yet here she was, alive, and it did not feel like a relief. Erika couldn't understand what could possibly be going on Moonlight's head, but then again, she didn't really understand the minds of most people.

When she went to bed it was so cold, yet now she woke up sweating, her blanket and bed moist and uncomfortable. Erika got up quickly, and disposed of her wet nightwear. She bathed in cold water and changed to more comfortable clothes so that she could withstand the heat. She'd wear her Precure uniform, but it was too hot for that. Itsuki often reprimanded her for that, but of course she had no trouble with the heat, her clothes are so light and show so much skin!

Annoyed, Erika stomped down the stairs to the dining hall. I'm so tired and it's so hot, and when it isn't hot it's too cold. And so dry, too, she could feel her skin begin to crack a little, and even though she could summon water, Erika felt shriveled all the time.

Erika sat by Tsubomi's side, and slammed her head on the table.

"So hot..."

"Good morning, Erika."

"Not good at all... I'm melting." Erika rose and began to fan herself. "I'm going to die, Tsubomi, I'm going to die, I'm going to melt and become just a little puddle and you'll have to mop me up..."

Tsubomi gasped loudly, and seemed to tear up a little. I guess she takes things too seriously. Erika made a note to herself that maybe joking with Tsubomi wasn't the best idea.

"Maybe you should take a bath," Tsubomi said. "That should make you feel better."

"Too late," Erika said. "I don't think they'd let me take another one."

"Oh, geez..." Tsubomi looked very concerned. Then again, she seemed to be concerned all the time. What an insecure, shy girl, Erika thought. I wanna make her open up.

"Hey, Tsubomi, I'm hungry. What's the food?" Erika grabbed Tsubomi's fork and ate some of her corn. "So tasty, I want more!"

"E-Erika, please don't eat off my plate! G-Get your own!"

"Sorry!" Erika chortled. This is not working at all. This girl is hopeless. Erika frowned and went to get some food. Fresh food was something this fortress always had, and Erika was thankful for that.

Erika ate by Tsubomi's side, and tried to make small talk constantly, to no avail; Tsubomi didn't seem to be having fun at all. This is so frustrating, Erika thought; everybody else at the Aegis was older than Erika and didn't give much thought to a child, and Itsuki was always busy with her important duties. She had been alone since she became a Precure, and didn't know what to do.

"Hey, Tsubomi," Erika tried her last resort. "Your clothes are so pretty!"

"D-do you think so?" Tsubomi sounded pretty interested. Erika smiled. Mission accomplished.

"Yes! I think they show a lot about you! Although I think you could afford to use brighter colors," Erika took a closer look at Tsubomi's grey outfit. It seemed a bit too depressing. No, no, this will not do. "Yes, bright colors would suit you best."

"You seem to know a lot about this, Erika."

Erika flipped her hair and looked at Tsubomi with pride. Of course she knew a lot about this, in fact, she was one of the best, she thought!

"I helped my family with it for a while. Actually I was the one who showed them that they could make money with more elaborate clothing. Well, me and my sister Momoka," she said that name with a dash of bitterness. "She'd wear the outfits I'd make and everyone would see how pretty they were, and for that they admired her greatly. And also she's good at business and management. And she takes care of everything, it's basically her own project. But they were my outfits and my idea! So it was mostly my work!"

"I see," Tsubomi said, and there was concern on her face. "Does that bother you, Erika?"

She did not answer. Erika knew that she should not be upset over such a thing, but she still felt as if her sister was stealing her dream, taking the glory all for herself. Everyone was so proud of that brilliant Momoka, that well-spoken Momoka, so good at everything. Erika was an afterthought. What could she do, but become a Precure? What shameful reasons. I should not be here, I am not good enough.

"It only bothers me a little," Erika got up. "Come on, Tsubomi, I think my clothes might fit you."

Tsubomi nodded and followed her. When Erika showed her immense collection of clothes, Tsubomi's astonishment was clear. Tsubomi blushed as Erika helped her get dressed, while she only giggled. This was the first time since she got here that Erika had fun. Or rather, the first time in months, as she could not even remember having fun and being happy during her training, in the weeks before she was chosen to become a Precure.

"That's all I have," Erika said when they were done. By then the sun was soon to set. "I should make something for you!"

"N-No! I'm thankful, Erika, but I don't want to be a bother!"

"Oh, please, Tsubomi," Erika laughed, "I'm having as much fun as you are. Something pink should suit you, I think."

"Y-Yes." Tsubomi smiled. Now that's what I wanted to see, Erika thought.

"And you can visit my family's store in Calmtide! There aren't a lot of other establishments in the world that work with such pretty clothing, you know," Erika bragged. "It's called Fairy Drop, which is kind of silly, I guess, but I was the one who named it, and I like fairies a lot, especially my own, of course."

"Ah, yes, that's a sweet name!" Tsubomi thought for a few seconds. "Wait, you have a fairy too?!"

"Yeah, but he's not with me. I left him at the Palace of Smiles to be taken care of by Cure Pine. Coffret wasn't happy with that at all, he wanted to come with me, but I felt it would be dangerous to bring him here."

"Coffret?!" Tsubomi raised her voice. "I remember that name! When I left Chypre at the Palace after I became a Pretty Cure, she quickly befriended another fairy there, called Coffret."

"Ah, what a lovely coincidence! Perhaps we were meant to meet and become friends?"

"I hope so!" Tsubomi had a huge grin on her face. "Thank you, Erika."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"W-Well, I'm not stupid, I noticed that you spent the whole day trying to talk to me, get me to open up, b-but I'm really too shy and I can't always keep conversations going, and I was afraid you'd give up. And you really looked like you were alone and wanted a friend too, and I thought I'd disappoint you..."

Erika said nothing. She simply hugged Tsubomi, who went silent as well. For a few moments, Erika felt as if they understood each other deeply.

Later that night, when the sun was no longer shining golden through the ceilings of the Aegis and the world was instead bathed by the light of the moon, Itsuki called Erika and Tsubomi to the great atrium. Erika looked at the sky, and thought of Cure Moonlight. The moon was so beautiful and serene, Erika thought, but also so distant, mysterious, and it seemed to lack the affection of the sun, when its rays brought peaceful warmth to the world. Erika did not understand the moon, nor did she understand Moonlight, and it frustrated her.

Itsuki talked to many people at once, yet she did not seem exhausted; Erika thought it admirable how Sunshine would not crumble under the weight of all these burdens that were imposed on her. She couldn't say for sure, but she did not think that becoming a Precure was Itsuki's choice. Even so, one would never hear her complain about it.

"Erika, Tsubomi," Itsuki greeted them and excused all who were around her. "Have you grown used to Sunflower Aegis now?"

"Yes, a bit," Tsubomi said, "though the temperature is still pretty difficult on me."

"I'm freezing," Erika said. "Water freezes and boils so easily, it's not fair!"

What even went on her mind back then? Oh, I live close to the ocean, maybe I should become a water precure! Yes, what a brilliant idea.

"Well," Itsuki giggled a little, then composed herself. "as I was about to say, I have a task for the two of you," she showed them a map. Sunflower Aegis was the only passage through a mountain range, a very strategic location. To the northeast there were a few neutral cities that would not pledge allegiance to the Precure Kingdom nor to the Desert Apostles, but they tended to side with the Precure Kingdom during conflicts. Beyond those cities, however, it was all controlled by the Apostles. "These cities close to us are of vital importance for the defense of the realm. The Desert Apostles must go through them to reach the Aegis, and though they are not as well protected as this keep, they still have high walls and soldiers."

"They're on our side, aren't they?" Tsubomi asked.

"Not really. Do not judge them to be your friends; it is a matter of interest. We assist them and keep them safe from the Desert Apostles, and in return we are allowed to station soldiers there and operate freely. I want you to go to this city," she pointed at a dot marked Sandstorm, "and there you will make yourselves as useful as possible. I believe that we could maybe strike an alliance with them, but they will only accept an alliance that benefits them more than us."

"Why do we have to do that?" Erika asked.

"Cure Moonlight was deeply respected by the inhabitants of these cities, as she would protect them from Desertrians and always help the citizens out when she had the time. It is not glorious work, I'm afraid, but it is necessary for you to gain the respect of these people. And believe me, when you are in the middle of the desert, under the scorching sun, not knowing much of your surroundings, you will need friends."

"I want to search for Moonlight!"

"No. That will not do. If you head out into the lands of the Desert Apostles you will surely die. None of us is nearly as competent as Moonlight."

"But she could be in danger! Don't you fear for her? One day she's with a squad of soldiers marching to a distant city, and the next day she's gone, and when she finally reappears, there's clearly something wrong with her."

"That is her concern only, not our own."

"Of course it is our concern," Erika yelled, "she's one of us, she's the best of us!"

"Cure Marine," Itsuki dropped her casual tone, "cease this foolishness. I will hear no more of this. You have your orders, and I expect you to obey them. That was your oath as a Precure, to work for the greater good."

Erika stomped outside the atrium, heading upstairs to her bedroom. She heard steps behind her, but did not look back.

"E-Erika..." It was Tsubomi's voice. "I know you're concerned, so am I, I'm on your side, but you should really just forget it..."

"No, Tsubomi, I cannot just forget it. If Itsuki is fine with letting a fellow Precure risk her own life like that and do nothing, that's her problem, but we don't have to just stand there and do as she says."

"Ah," Tsubomi avoided Erika's gaze. "You are right, of course, but still... I'm afraid. I'm afraid I cannot do anything to help Moonlight. Maybe it's true, maybe we cannot help her, maybe she does not want help."

"Or maybe she doesn't know there's nothing wrong in asking for help."

* * *

_Girls bonding over fashion, because this is still Precure and not grimdark fantasy. Next chapter is a Hibiki one. I do hope you enjoy this!_


	3. Melody I

Seasick and tired, Hibiki felt as if she could fall if someone simply pushed her a little. It was a long journey from Majorland to the Precure Kingdom, and the seas were often rough. Only when the ship neared Calmtide did the waters allow them some tranquility.

"What a beautiful city," she said to Ellen as they neared the docks.

"It is," Ellen said, eyes fixed on the lighthouse, so tall and imposing, even when not alight.

Hibiki missed Majorland already, and she missed Hummy, and also Ako, Baritone, Bassdrum and Falsetto, but above all she missed Kanade. Hibiki had been invited to perform at the Palace of Smiles, but she felt that it would simply not be complete without Kanade, who, three days before the trip, was approached by a man whose sick daughter wished to listen to a performance by the beloved Cure Rhythm.

Thankfully, Ellen chose to accompany her, so Hibiki did not have to endure the voyage all by herself. She would rather be with Kanade, of course, but she would never hurt Ellen by saying that; besides, despite falling silent and cold from time to time, she was a good friend.

They left with a large crowd as the ship docked; Calmtide was one of the main destinations of travellers from Majorland. It was by far the largest city in the Precure Kingdom, a great center of commerce and culture. When she stepped into the city and looked around, Hibiki saw people from all over the world, and many from Märchenland, the closest ally of the Precure Kingdom since Her Majesty Beauty led the army that freed Märchenland from the grasp of the Bad End Kingdom and its wicked ruled, Pierrot. The Precure Kingdom rose as the world's greatest power following that war, to the chagrin of a fair amount of inhabitants of Majorland.

"Hello!" A girl with long blue hair waved at them. Hibiki and Ellen approached her, and she greeted them with a smile. "I'm Miki Aono, or Cure Berry as you might be more familiar," she said, "and I am the keeper of the Palace of Smiles," Miki sighed, "which means I take care of all the jobs the other Cures are too busy to handle."

She smiled and shook Hibiki's hand. Her grip was firm but delicate. And she was so pretty too, with an air of elegance that was impossible to ignore.

"Ah, hi! I'm Hibiki, and it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Where is Rhythm?" Miki asked while she stared at Ellen. "I'm pretty sure this is not Rhythm."

"Ah, no, Kanade couldn't come with us!" Hibiki said. Ellen was blushing, embarrassed, so Hibiki quickly explained the situation.

"What a pity," Miki said. "Well, I hope she arrives soon, or Her Majesty will put our heads on spikes!" When she noticed Hibiki and Ellen's astonished faces, she began to laugh. "Oh, sweeties, it was a joke! A jest, a quip! Something to make you laugh!"

Miki kept laughing by herself, but soon enough she was silent.

"I apologize. I was trying to make you feel more comfortable, since it's your first time here."

"No, it's alright," Ellen said, "we're just seasick, that's all."

"Ah, I see."

Miki laughed a little and then asked the two to follow her as she gave them a quick tour of the city. There were so many shops in the commercial district, and they seemed to sell everything; Hibiki thought that maybe not even the largest cities of Majorland were as enormous as Calmtide.

Not that it was necessarily a good thing; the streets were crowded and busy, hundreds of people kept bumping on Hibiki as they hurried to their destinations, merchants kept trying to sell their wares, and one of them even grabbed her by the arm and forced her to buy one of his products, a small, ugly doll. The marketplace also smelled like fish, fruits, spices and things that Hibiki could not quite recognize, not all of them pleasant.

"Don't worry, don't worry, things are nicer in the richer part of Calmtide. I hope you have some money with you, you would definitely not want to miss it! Oh, dear, you two should definitely visit Fairy Drop. Surely you've heard of it?"

Who hasn't? It was only the world's finest clothes store, where the world's greatest clothiers worked to create masterpieces of beauty. Quite expensive, of course, but still a very good deal considering that before it came into being, only nobles and people of great importance could possibly own one or two pretty dresses like that. Now anyone had access to that, provided they could pay. Fairy Drop had only existed for a few years, but was expanding very quickly; there were talks of opening another store in Operetta, capital of Majorland.

The streets leading to Fairy Drop got less and less congested as they got closer to the store, but once there, crowds were standing outside the windows, looking at the dresses, all of them commenting on how pretty they were. It was such a large store, too; Hibiki had already heard of its enormity, but to see it in person was truly impressive.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Miki said.

"Yes..."

"Shall we head inside?"

Hibiki was about to agree with joyful enthusiasm, but she noticed that Ellen did not seem as fond of the idea as she herself was.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Miki asked her. "Did you two not bring money with you? You seem as if you are afraid of entering."

"Well, of course I have," said Hibiki, "and Ellen is the songstress of Major Land, so I'm sure she-"

Ellen shook her head before Hibiki could finish speaking. Her head hang low, and when she finally spoke, her voice was a soft whisper.

"I'm not really the songstress anymore," she said with her voice full of shame. "Someone else was chosen. I did receive an allowance during the years I sang the Melody of Happiness, but I spent most of it on travelling expenses and lodging, as I toured all over Majorland, so I don't really have anything," she laughed awkwardly, and then sighed.

Was this why Ellen so hurriedly chose to join Hibiki on her trip to the Precure Kingdom? It seemed rather obvious now, but Hibiki had not even considered the possibility of someone other than the beloved and talented Siren of Majorland performing the Melody of Happiness. Hibiki thought it best not to ask any further questions; this was clearly a sensitive subject to Ellen.

"Well, your expenses will obviously be covered by the royal treasury, plus Hibiki's fees, and Queen Beauty really loves talented singers, so I'm sure your skills would be greatly appreciated at the court," Miki said. "I don't think it would do you any harm to see if there's anything there you find pretty. You can always come back once you get paid, in case you accept this offer."

Ellen nodded, an answer that seemed to satisfy Miki, but it was clear to Hibiki that it was not really money that bothered her. If she accompanied Hibiki so that she could get as far away from Majorland as she could, something had upset her greatly.

Fairy Drop smelled like mint, and as soon as they got in, a smiling lady, wearing a simple but charming dress offered to assist them.

"Welcome to Fairy Drop," she took a bow. "I see you've brought new friends, Miss Miki. I'll assume this is their first time here?"

"You're right, Gardenia, these are Ellen and Hibiki. They come from Majorland."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," she said, and Hibiki returned the greeting, but Ellen remained silent. "Visitors from Majorland often come here to buy dresses for performances, so perhaps I might interest you in some?"

Hibiki agreed, and soon enough she was trying dozens of dresses, some long and elegant, some shorter and quite adorable. It felt weird to be as pampered as she was being, but it was certainly delightful. A red dress caught her attention; it seemed to sparkle when light shone against it, many twinkles of silver along its scarlet fabric. She chose that one, and satisfied with her purchase, almost did not notice Ellen moping, sat on a comfortable chair, playing with the sandals by her feet.

"These look so pretty on you," Hibiki commented.

"Ah, do they? You're right. Perhaps I should buy them later," she shrugged, "who knows."

"Hey, Ellen," Hibiki smiled, "I have an idea! I can buy these sandals for you now, and you can pay me back later once you have been paid by Beauty!"

"Who said I'm gonna work there? I haven't decided yet. I might not do it."

"I see," Hibiki tried to hide her disappointment. "I still think you should buy them! Don't you think that giving yourself a little treat sometimes is just wonderful?"

"No, I don't think that at all," Ellen got up and hurried outside. Hibiki knew it was pointless to argue, and let her go.

Hibiki's wallet was empty when they left, but she felt it was worth it; she would wear that dress when performing at the Palace of Smiles, and all who listened to her would be greatly impressed. She smiled, proud.

"Hey, Hibiki," Miki approached her once they were a few blocks away from the store, and spoke quietly, "are you sure it's safe for you to be so distant from Kanade? Because you need each other to transform..."

Hibiki had thought of that, of course, she was not stupid. She and Rhythm were unique among the Precure in that they needed to be together to be able to call forth their powers. They were not like the Cures of the Kingdom, who bathed in the saintly light of the Precure at the hallowed altar of the Precured Palace and received her powers that way; in an hour of need, when the armies of the Bad End Kingdom were getting nearer and nearer to Majorland, their powers awakened. They did not receive training as the others, they were not assigned a partner fairy beforehand; instead, the closest fairy to them was bonded to them, and that would be Hummy, that poor fairy who wasn't really prepared for such responsibility.

"We'll be fine. Truth be told, we haven't transformed in ages. This is peacetime, after all. These lands are safe and prosperous, and the Cures have done a marvellous job keeping it that way. Me and Kanade aren't really needed to fight, I think, since there are no wars to fight anymore."

Miki smiled a melancholic smile, and Hibiki wondered what she said wrong. Before she could ask, though, Miki turned away, and laughed playfully as she was doing before.

"You're right, actually. There's no danger. This is paradise, isn't it? All thanks to the Precure, who do no wrong. Come on now, we must sleep, for tomorrow we head to the Palace of Smiles."

Something sounded twisted on what Miki said, as if she did not even believe what she said, but Hibiki could not quite tell what was wrong. She kept thinking about what Miki said until she could sleep. All thanks to the Precure, who do no wrong. Hibiki felt a shiver.


	4. Peach I

Love could recognize every single one of the girls in the paintings that covered the walls of the entire corridor. All those legendary Precures from ages before, she knew he name of each one of them, and she knew their great deeds as well. Here in the Precure Palace they were immortal, long gone, but never forgotten.

The painting of Cure Angie seemed to stare at her coldly; Love wondered if that look was the last thing that Baron Salamander saw before being cut down during the first attack on the Sunflower Aegis, centuries before any who lived today were born. And to think that even with her amazing power and wisdom she could not end the hostility between the Precure Kingdom and the Desert Apostles.

"Peach? You seem distracted," Tarte said from her shoulder.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I was dozing off!" She tried to bow apologetically, but all she accomplished was dropping Tarte on the floor.

"Geez, Peach..."

She picked him up and put Tarte on her shoulder again. He carried a tiny map with him, and he would check it constantly, and plan their journey. Right now they were in the western region of the Precure Kingdom, close to the Sweets Kingdom, lands protected by the might of Houses Tsukikage and Aoki.

They had already travelled so far today; they set out from Solaris, where they were guests of Cure Sunny, and did not rest a single moment the whole day. When they finally reached the Precure Palace, the moon was already in the sky, a large, shining crescent. Only then did Tarte and Peach decide to rest. Thankfully, the Palace had quarters for Cures that were visiting it. Once, decades ago, some Cures lived there, but that was when the Precure were more numerous and the world was more dangerous. Now that a calm peace had taken the kingdom, there was no need for an army of Precures anymore, as just a few could take care of royal affairs.

Peach admired the queens that came before Beauty; there were so many, some greater than others, but she knew all their names. Cure Aqua, who a century before restored the Fairy Palace and promised safety to all fairies in the world. Cure Egret, who had ruled before that, whose measures turned the Precure Kingdom from a rather poor realm to a great power. And the ones who came before them all, Black and White, who fought together to make their dream of a kingdom safe under the watch of the Precure come true.

"I hope I'm making you proud," she said as she looked at the paintings, "I hope one day I can be here as well."

Love wandered aimlessly through pristine marble halls, admiring everything, like a child surrounded by toys. She wanted to touch every statue, and tell Tarte all about each of the Cures in the paintings, and talk to them.

Once she was satisfied, Love returned to her partner and dined with him. She had severely underestimated how much food they'd need, as she only brought enough for a week. It had been four days already and they had not yet reached the lands ruled by House Tsukikage, their destination.

And they needed to get there as soon as they could; Love heard dire tidings of a threat that ravaged small villages and the farmlands; strange monsters that attacked everyone around them with no conceivable reason, and had already claimed the lives of many peasants. Love was tasked to exterminate those creatures and investigate their origin. The former should be quite easy, she thought, but she had no idea on how to start her investigation.

It was not fitting for the Precure Palace to be so empty, Love thought, even though it had been like this all her life. She thought it should be full of life and joy, as was fitting for the Precure, but instead it was empty, though not abandoned, only receiving visitors when a girl was chosen to bathe in the saintly light of the Precure, laying down at the Precure Altar and being granted her powers. Love still fondly remembered the day she became a Cure, alongside Inori and Miki. Together they learned about a Precure's duty and they protected Majorland from the Bad End Kingdom. Though now they had each set out their own different path, they were still the closest of friends.

"We should sleep now, Peach," Tarte said. He carried a small pillow and put it down on the floor, in a corner of the old dining hall. He curled up and yawned.

"Shouldn't you go sleep on a bed?"

Tarte laughed, got up and dramatically pointed at the bag he carried:

"Unlike you, I brought lots of food and sweets with me! What if I wake up in the middle of the night and want a snack? I wouldn't want to dirty my bed with scraps, but since I'm already here, it's all good," he laughed more.

"I want sweets too..."

"Get your own!" Tarte said, and jumped on top of his bag. "These are mine!"

Love sighed. It seemed the ferret won again. Love could never make him part with his bag.

"He must really like his sweets, huh?" She thought. Quite fitting for a fairy that came from the Sweets Kingdom, actually. Love thought of the Sweets Kingdom and dozed off thinking of all the candy and chocolate she could have. Instead, here she was, on a trip where all she had to eat was bread. Not fair at all.

She shook off her thoughts and laid down in a large, comfortable bed. She stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep, and kept thinking, of Inori and Miki, of past Cures, of monsters and of the old Bad End Kingdom, and of how the Palace used to be, and above all, she thought of sweets. Sweets would be really good right now.

When Love finally closed her eyes and began to drift away, she heard a loud, awful sound, like a wall being scratched, and she heard weeping, though far quieter than the other noise. Love jumped out of bed, ready to transform if it was needed, and carefully walked through the endless corridors. They did not look that pretty now that it was so dark; all those paintings seemed to stare at Love, their eyes following her, and she felt trapped, so trapped, and lost. The noise wouldn't stop, and the walls screeched and cried.

And then Love found it; the Heart Garden, where the Heart Flowers of the Cures are hidden, encased in crystal. They were all so beautiful, lush flowers of all sorts in the middle of those large, transparent bouquet-like crystals. Love saw her own Heart Flower, an amaranth in a lucent bouquet, shining bright light. When she looked to her side, she saw the Flowers of the newest Cures, small but in bloom, growing stronger every day; a peony, a cyclamen and a cherry blossom, their light fainter but still warm.

And then she looked at the greatest flower, a white lily, wilting, horrid noises coming out of it as a great shadow enveloped the crystal and ripped apart the lily. From the dying flower came forth an orange lily that seemed to burn, and the two flowers shared the same space, under the grim shadow. The screeching stopped, and the shadow faded, but the orange lily there remained, blooming proudly while its white sister wilted.

Love shivered. She knew whose Heart Flower that was; Cure Moonlight's, the most accomplished Cure of these times, the one who kept the Precure Kingdom safe from invasions from the north, the one who never failed before. Until one day she disappeared without a trace into the desert; many assumed her to be dead, and replacements were found, but her Heart Flower was still there, so Love never understood why the Palace of Smiles chose to find substitutes. Perhaps they did not have faith that Moonlight would return.

And now this. A Heart Flower decaying was far worse than death, Love thought, as it was born of despair and misery, and a defeated heart. Not Moonlight, Love thought, anyone but her.

She did not sleep that night. This was far more worrying than she had thought; somewhere in the middle of the desert, Moonlight was suffering, something had gone wrong, and the Palace of Smiles seemed so quick in disposing of her. The more she thought, the more doubts she had. And she was afraid.

* * *

_Love might look a bit dumb at first, but she certainly knows her history. The next chapter is another Tsubomi one. I hope you enjoyed this! Do review and comment if you'd like, that would be great!_


	5. Blossom II

The warmth of the sun should make a flower thrive, Tsubomi thought, but not this, not this at all, she said to herself as she walked for hours in the arid emptiness beyond the Aegis. I have not even reached the Great Desert yet, but my petals already burn. This is far too much. Tsubomi faltered as she walked, and she knew that she truly had no business here.

Magnolia guided their steps; a scout from the Sunflower Aegis, young but applauded, ordered by Itsuki to help them reach Sandstorm. Finding the city was easy, of course, as it was straight north from the Aegis, but Magnolia was used to spending days on the desert sand, under the scorching sun, and it was obvious that Erika and Tsubomi would need assistance. And they did, sorely, yet even so they struggled to keep moving, Tsubomi far more than Erika, who at least did not look like she was about to give up.

Tsubomi felt like a burden; she was slow, she whined, she did not know how to survive there, and she was always tired; she would often ask to rest, wasting their precious time, and Tsubomi knew she was just hindering them, and though her companions were polite and did not express any resentment, Tsubomi feared that Magnolia was tired of her. She feared that Erika thought she was not good enough.

Soon they took another moment to rest, as Tsubomi felt like she was starting to fall apart; when she removed her boots, she had blisters on her feet, and her whole body was sweating. Tsubomi felt disgusting, she felt tired, and she felt, above all else, useless.

Magnolia did not seem tired at all; she seemed right at home, in fact. The heat never bothered her, and she was never exhausted. Her tanned skin showed Tsubomi that she had spent a long time in the desert, and though she didn't look to be much older than she and Erika, her face revealed the experience of someone who had already seen a lot.

"Hey, Magnolia," Erika asked, "how can you do this so well?"

"Ah, well, it's not like I have a choice," she giggled. "A desert scout who can't survive in the desert would not last very long, you know."

"No, I mean, why did you choose to become a scout in the first place?" Erika's deep blue eyes were set on Magnolia, watching her with curiosity.

"Ah, well, bit of a long story there, to be honest," she said, "and not a very pleasant one, actually, though I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

Magnolia stood quiet for a little while, looking in the distance at something that wasn't there. Then she spoke up:

"Lots of people get lost in the desert, as you might imagine," Tsubomi knew that without Magnolia, she herself would be lost by now, "for a variety of reasons. And it's not exactly a forgiving place; even if you're prepared, travelling is difficult and tiring. Being stuck in the desert with no supplies, then, is practically a death sentence."

Was Moonlight stuck as well? The scouts that found her said that she did not carry anything, and all she had with her was her fairy, Cologne. Tsubomi shuddered at the thought.

"Well," Magnolia continued, "I was in that situation not too long ago, when I was left by my parents with a caravan headed to Sandstorm. They said that there I would find a safe place, away from the Great Desert. They were headed to the Mirage Tower, for work, they told me, and couldn't take with me, so they arranged for me to stay with a friend of theirs. They left me behind as they went to work, and I haven't seen them since."

Tsubomi's heart grew heavy; that was hitting far too close to home, but she could not get up and walk away, not now, so she had to listen.

"I was too slow for the caravan, though, and they could not wait for me; soon they disappeared. I did not know how to reach Sandstorm by myself, so I walked aimlessly for days, and soon I thought I was going to die, defeated by the desert, until I was found by scouts of the Sunflower Aegis. I'm sure you can assume what happened later; I was taken there, raised, then I became a scout as well."

"That's so mean, though, your parents leaving you behind like that!" Erika said.

"It's not mean," Tsubomi said on impulse, and by the time she was saying those words, she already regretted doing, so, and struggled to keep talking, "s-sometimes people who care about you have to do things that aren't that nice, and of course it makes them sad as well, but it's necessary, a-and they still love you, and-" Tsubomi did not know how to keep going. In fact, she did not even know exactly what point she was trying to make in the first place. After that, she just got up, said she was well rested, and decided to shut up for the rest of their journey.

The heat was still burning, and the sun still hurt her eyes, but Tsubomi did not complain. Even when she felt like falling down, she kept going. Even when Erika asked her if she'd like to rest a bit, Tsubomi did not accept it. Soon Erika was looking at her with worried eyes, but Tsubomi avoided them and tried not to be of any concern. She walked in front of Magnolia and Erika, and could hear them chatting from time to time, and felt alone, but refused to whine or be weak. Marine did not deserve a partner who could not even stand the desert heat, she did not deserve a partner who felt like crying because she missed her parents.

She deserves something much better than me. I don't deserve to be here.

The sun was setting now, and the heat was no longer overbearing. It was time to set up their tents; two people could sleep at the same time, and one would stay awake for a few hours, watching over them. Tsubomi offered to keep watch first, so that the others could sleep.

Sandstorm was just a couple of days away; Erika and Magnolia were looking forward to finally sleeping on a comfortable bed again, but right now Tsubomi didn't even care about that. She cried; she was alone again, she was foolish to think that she wasn't alone, and she was not fit to be a Precure. What was she fit to be, anyway? Nothing.

She felt a gentle grasp on her shoulder. Tsubomi could not wipe away the tears quickly enough, as Erika sat by her side, with a kind smile.

"There's something wrong, isn't there, Tsubomi? What is it?"

Tsubomi hesitated for a few seconds, fearing that Erika was mocking her, that if she told everything Erika would simply think she wasn't good enough, but soon she found herself clinging to her, crying on her shoulder, with no fear.

"I don't belong here, I'm not a good enough Precure, am I?" She laughed as she cried, as if everything was just a terrible joke that wasn't funny at all. "If I weren't the granddaughter of Cure Flower, I would never be a Precure. I'm shy and I'm a coward, I'm weak and I'm a crybaby. I miss home, I miss my parents, I miss Chypre. I don't have a heart fit for a Precure."

"No, I think your heart is just perfect," Erika hugged her, "and what a pretty heart it is. The people who worry the most have the kindest hearts, I think, because they care about everything around them so much that they fear they aren't good enough. I'd know," she had a goofy grin on her face, "because I go through that, and I'd say I have a rather kind heart," she laughed a little.

Tsubomi smiled at her. A kind heart indeed. She felt a bit stupid for ever doubting that Erika was such a true friend. She held her for a little longer, basking in the warmth of their embrace; this is the warmth that a flower needs to grow strong and beautiful, she thought.

"Now, tell me, why were you sad after what Magnolia said?" Erika said. "I won't know unless you tell me, you know."

"I already told you that I live with my grandmother in the Garden of Hope, right?" Erika nodded. "Right. Well, my parents are diplomats, and they live in the Kingdom of Sweets, which is, you know, rather far away. A few thousand miles," Tsubomi laughed again, the way she always laughed when sad, then she sighed. "And Magnolia reminded me of that. I guess it's childish of me, isn't it?"

"No, no, not at all!" Erika seemed offended at the fact that Tsubomi would think herself a fool; that put Tsubomi's heart at ease. "Of course you'll miss those you love, there's nothing to be ashamed. Truth be told, I wanted some distance from my family when I decided I'd try my best to be chosen as a Precure, but now I miss them a little."

They smiled at each other; Tsubomi was astonished at how much they understood each other, but she was glad about it. They stood watch together, and Tsubomi did not feel sleepy at all; she talked to Erika for hours, and even small talk seemed to flow so naturally. Even their silence was calm and comforting.

Despite not getting much sleep at all, the next day, Tsubomi woke up feeling well rested, ready to keep moving; she felt that the desert wasn't enough to stop her now. She travelled with confidence that she hadn't felt before, and soon could see the walls of Sandstorm in the horizon.

* * *

_I just cannot hold my Tsubomi x Erika feelings inside, huh? Next chapter is an Eas one, so except a change in mood and greater focus on plot! Do review and comment if you'd like, and I hope you are enjoying this!_


	6. Eas I

Eas looked at the scorching ruins with satisfaction. Such pride she found in a job well done, in serving her master. The helpless peasants ran aimlessly, with nowhere to go, nothing to do but run or burn. Eas looked at the enormous construct that had caused this destruction, the Nakewameke she called forth to do her bidding. She smirked; the Precure Kingdom would not even dare to hope they could stand against such might. Everything for Lord Moebius.

"Will they all break as easily?" Westar asked, punching the air, eager for some sort of action.

"This was but a village of farmers and men who live in the filth of their own animals," Soular scoffed, "and in their own filth, I'd wager. Do not judge the power of the Precure Kingdom based on these weaklings."

"Oh, please, Soular, do you truly believe they can oppose us?" Eas laughed. "Their villages will burn, and the Precures can choose to hide behind their walls and die when they crumble, or come to us and fight open war, and die. This is a war they have no hope of winning."

This is a war they are not even aware of yet, truth be told. Not a single Precure had yet been sent to investigate what was happening, and they had begun their offensive against these lands one week before. Would the Palace of Smiles simply watch their people be destroyed without any sort of resistance? Not that resisting would do them any good, of course.

Eas called her Nakewameke. They were very powerful weapons, but completely mindless; without orders, they were useless. They were the might of Labyrinth, the weapon they so gravely needed to reclaim their lands, stolen by the Precure scum. They were devised by Klein's brilliant mind, of course, who else was as talented with machines as him, right hand of Lord Moebius? Such a faithful servant he was. It was Eas' heart's desire to serve Moebius as well as Klein.

"Stand guard here," she commanded the machine, "destroy all Precure and soldiers of the Precure Kingdom that dare set foot here," the jewel on the center of the Nakewameke's chest shone blue, indicating it had accepted Eas' command, "and begin converting this village."

"We are only a few hours away from Silver Moon," Soular said. Indeed, they were now very close to the keep of House Tsukikage. Why was it then that they had not yet faced any opposition? Yuri had disappeared, and she was the pride of her house, that was true, but she was not lady of Silver Moon; her mother, Haruna, ruled over these lands, and had no excuse to let enemies run free on her own territory.

"We'll just smash it!" Westar said.

"Don't be foolish," Eas said, "why smash a great castle that we could use? Think for a second, Westar; these lands are ours by right, and it would be stupid of us not to preserve what we can. These villages are worth little to us, yes, but it does not mean they cannot be assimilated by Labyrinth."

Eas could see Silver Moon in the distance, high above a hill, and she knew they had little time now; Silver Moon was a shifting castle, a wonder of engineering, perhaps one of the greatest achievements in the history of great buildings. A building whose form would change periodically to match the shape of the moon. As above, so below, it was said; Silver Moon was a great proud castle that occupied most of the hill when the moon was full, and slowly parts of it would sink down into the depths of the mountain, and by the time the moon was a crescent, most of the castle was hidden underground, and farmers from the region would start bringing food, because soon the moon would be new.

Eas looked upwards. The sun was bright, too bright. She was still not used to it, despite her training; too many years she spent underground, in the last refuge of Labyrinth, where Lord Moebius had retreated after he knew the war against the Precure was lost. It was the one place where people still served Lord Moebius, as they all should.

"Soon Silver Moon will conceal itself," Eas said, "so we should hurry now. Once it is hidden, it will be almost impossible to breach it, unless we explode the entire hill, which would not only be immensely difficult, but would also be completely against our interests."

"But do you truly think that Haruna can be useful to us?" Soular asked, doubtful.

"I would expect so, as the Precure Kingdom should not keep the lady of one of the mightiest houses in the dark about Infinity."

Soular was satisfied with the answer, and asked no further questions. They made haste to Silver Moon, dressed as travelling fortune tellers to divert any suspicions. This was a plentiful province, Eas thought as she saw the bountiful harvests of nearby farmlands. Bountiful as they were, they went unharvested, as so many people were running away, hiding. She laughed to herself. Such prosperity, and nobody there to enjoy it.

It was a long way up until they reached Silver Moon; the hill was steep, and ascending was tiring. This was one of the many reasons no one dared lay siege on Silver Moon; it was a castle perfectly protected from great armies. But it is not a great army that will strike against it now.

"Shelter, please, we beg of you!" Eas pleaded to the gatekeepers, who held their spears with tight grip and stoic faces. "Our fields have been burned, our houses have been destroyed, our village has been ravaged, sacked and levelled!"

"We promise you we will not be a bother," Soular said, "and we do not eat much. You will not even notice us, we swear."

The soldiers did not show compassion. They looked at each other and nodded, as if they had orders and had no need of speaking.

"What do you do?" One of them asked. "We don't need farmers when we're underground, and we have no need of tailors, smiths, and we have enough help. So tell us, how may you be useful to Silver Moon, so that we may give you shelter?"

"We are fortune tellers," Eas said, and contained a smirk. Of course they would have need of fortune tellers, with Lady Haruna's daughter gone. Perhaps the rest of Silver Moon wouldn't, but Haruna would want any comfort she could get.

The sentinels pondered for a while, and then the gates were opened. On the walls of the castle, engravings of the moon, but no other pointless decoration; there were no statues to be seen, no paintings, the shining of gold or silver was nowhere to be seen. The guards had ordered them to meet with Lady Haruna, and so they did; they descended into the mountain, the hidden part of Silver Moon, lit by candle light all day and night, until they reached Haruna's chambers, where she prayed in silence. When she was done, she turned to meet the three.

"You are unfamiliar faces," she said, "why did the guards let you in?"

Eas explained her their profession, all their years of practice and the success of their predictions; as she did, Haruna's eyes lightened up, though her face was yet apprehensive, like she was hopeful, but still afraid of her hope disappointing her.

"I'm so thankful, then," Haruna said with her hand to her heart. "I have talked to priests, and prayed as they told me to, so that my daughter would be safe, and I have heard no news of her yet. The priests said that they cannot know if she is safe, only that they can pray for her. But you," she held Eas' hands. Her own hands were shaking, but she tried to hold on firmly, "you can. You can!" She smiled and laughed.

Eas understood it now, why Silver Moon had done nothing against Labyrinth's attack. Haruna was so mad with grief, so deeply buried in her despair that she could not care about anything that wasn't her daughter. Ah, how Eas wanted to simply mock that foolish woman, making her own people suffer because she was weak.

"Don't you worry, we'll help you," Eas smiled at Haruna, and turned back to Soular and Westar, still smiling, but now a smile of satisfaction. "Go take care of things now," they nodded and left Eas alone with Haruna, closing the door. "Your hands, please," she asked the woman.

Haruna extended her palms, and Eas grabbed her wrists with such strength that she could almost feel them twisting in her hands. Haruna let out a cry of pain, but Eas simply brought her closer.

"Now, stupid woman, do not attempt to resist," she said, though she knew that there was no possible way Haruna could offer any resistance, "and do not attempt to fool us. This very moment, your castle falls to Labyrinth," she laughed. "Funny, how your own weakness allowed us to get inside with no difficulty."

Haruna could not even gather the strength to look guilty. She just stared at Eas, crying. Though at first Eas found it amusing, she soon found something uncomfortable about it, and averted her eyes.

"You will not be killed, don't you worry, although perhaps that would be to your liking, so that you could join your dead daughter," that seemed to get a reaction from Haruna, though only a slight one, as she tried to move her arms. "Oh, yes, make no mistake, there's no way your daughter could still be alive in the Great Desert. I don't need to be a fortune teller to be able to tell that, all I need is simple logic."

She sat down, and forced Haruna to sit in front of her, on an old wooden chair.

"Now, tell me, where is Infinity?"

"I don't know."

"Have you never even heard of it? Surely the Palace of Smiles must have mentioned something to you."

"No. I know nothing. I'm not a Precure. They only tell these things to the Precure, or to those that are meant to be Precure, like my daughter. I can't help you."

Eas meant to slap the woman, but she'd have to look at her again, so she did nothing. Furious, she left Haruna alone in her chambers, and locked her there. Go pray some more, foolish woman, go hope that your daughter can be saved.

The castle showed obvious signs of struggles; dead soldiers and broken walls, weapons scattered all around, and some ruined parts of Nakewameke. That was most surprising of all, how their primitive weapons could actually damage the machines of Labyrinth. Eas felt uneasy, but shut up further worries. It was luck. Labyrinth does not fail. Everything for Lord Moebius.

She met with Soular and Westar, who had three Nakewameke by their side, on what was once the meeting hall of Silver Moon.

"It was easy!" Westar said. "Labyrinth is far too strong for these people! You were right, Eas, the Precure Kingdom does not stand a chance against us!

"We have taken control of the gates, so only we can open them now," Soular said, and handed Eas a large set of keys. "Were you successful?"

"No. Haruna knew nothing about Infinity. She is a truly ignorant woman. I'm afraid we won't find any answers here."

"So it was all for nothing, then?" Westar said, disappointed.

"No, of course not," Soular said. "We have taken over one of the greatest castles of the Precure Kingdom, one that in just a few days will be absolutely safe. We are in no hurry to find our answers about Infinity," Soular turned to the Nakewameke. "Let us begin assimilating Silver Moon into the glory of Labyrinth. Then once it completely belongs to us, we can think of our next step to bring down the Precure Kingdom and take what is ours. Everything for Lord Moebius."

"Everything for Lord Moebius!" Westar said with enthusiasm.

Eas looked around and saw the destruction, the broken castle and the blood splatters. Everything for Lord Moebius.

* * *

_Next chapter introduces the last POV character, and I'm not telling who it is, because I'm a tease. Heh. You can probably guess, though. I hope you are enjoying this, and from now on should expect a slightly darker mood as Labyrinth becomes part of the plot. Less fluffy cuddly time, though, I'm afraid (I'd love to keep having the characters just being cute, but that's not what this fic is about!)_


	7. Rhythm I

Kanade's fingers gracefully slid across the piano keys, and a beautiful, cheerful melody followed them. Hummy warmed up as well, until she found the right tone, and began to sing to the tune. They filled these halls with happiness, and all who passed by would stop to listen, and this was just practice. This filled Kanade's heart with joy, and she wished to share that, and with each moment she played more passionately, while Hummy tried to keep up. When the song was finally over, it seemed like the whole castle was there, clapping. No matter how many times this happened, Kanade would still tear up at the sight of such enthusiasm.

The crowd then dispersed to resume their duties, leaving Kanade and Hummy to practice in peace. Kanade had been hired to play the piano for a sick child, and she would not cease her practice until she perfect the songs she planned to perform. Even so, she knew that she did not have anything close to Hummy's reponsibility: being the one meant to sing the Melody of Happiness, the sacred song of Majorland, the greatest musical performance in the world.

Kanade was by Hummy's side when she was chosen: she remembered Hummy's anticipation, her glowing eyes when she learned that all her hard work had paid off. She had little hope at first, truth be told, as she competed with the very best, fairies renowned from all over Majorland. Above all, she competed with Siren, her closest friend, who taught her all she knows, who was chosen six times in the past six years, and was sure to be chosen a seventh time.

"We have listened to you all," said Pizzicato, an admired fairy, who quite frankly looked more like a cat than a fairy, and who had sung the Melody of Happiness many decades before, "and we have pondered discussed, and so we have chosen the fairy most fit to sing the sacred song."

Siren had such a smug expression, Kanade recalled, like she had already assumed she'd win, but then Pizzicato called forth Hummy, and congratulated her. Hummy had never looked quite as happy, yet Siren had never looked quite as furious. Kanade assumed she would soon feel better, once her wounded pride healed, but instead she remained in her human form, asked not to be called Siren, and did not sing again ever since that. Kanade could not tell if Ellen was full of anger against Hummy or disappointment in herself, but two weeks before she had set sail to the Precure Kingdom with Hibiki when Kanade could not accompany her, and did not say goodbye to anyone. Ever since then Hummy had been practicing all day, all night, and if she noticed Ellen was upset, she did not show it. Then again, with all the responsibility that Hummy had, perhaps it was for the better that she did not worry about anything.

It was odd, Kanade thought, to play the piano by herself. She had become so used to having Hibiki's hand close to hers, playing alongside her, each one helping the other correct their mistakes, growing more harmonic by the day. To think that when they first transformed, they could not understand each other at all, and now they were so close to perfect synchronicity. Kanade feared that being far away from Hibiki could ruin their progress, but Hibiki did not seem concerned; she was either very confident in their bonds, or she did not care about their harmony as much as Kanade did.

She shook off that thought. Regardless of the truth, that sort of thinking would do no good. Hibiki could make her own choices, and if Kanade could not understand and accept that, perhaps she was not so truly in accord with Hibiki as she thought.

"But I miss you so much."

Kanade blurted those words, only realizing that Hibiki was not playing by her side when she had already spoken. Kanade botched the next few notes she was supposed to play, and by the time she recovered her rhythm, she just slammed her hand on the keys. Hummy stopped singing and turned to her.

"What's wrong, Kanade? I'm here, how can you miss me?"

"Nothing's wrong," she lied, and got up. "I was just, uh, thinking of another song at the same time, a song about missing a dear friend, and I got it messed up with the song I was playing. Yes, that's what happened. Nothing more."

"That's because you're not getting enough rest!" Hummy jumped on the piano stool to get closer to Kanade, her voice filled with worry. "I know you're worried about your performance, but there's no need to be such a perfecter, er, perfecten," Hummy stuttered. "You know what I'm trying to say, don't you?"

"As if you're one to talk," Kanade said, sounding more caustic than she had intended, "you barely get any sleep. You just spend every night practicing the Melody of Happiness. You barely eat, Hummy! Do you know how much you worry me?"

Hummy sighed, and got down again. She looked so somber, it was so unlike her, Kanade thought.

"Well, I can't afford to do any less," Hummy said, serious. "The Melody of Happiness was for Siren to sing, wasn't it?" Kanade thought she could hear Hummy tear up, but couldn't tell for sure. "I stole it from her, that's why she's so sad, isn't it?"

Kanade was silent. She dared not to presume she could speak for Ellen. Even so, what else could it be? Her silence seemed to be a good enough answer for Hummy.

"I have to do my best, then, and show her that I'm worthy, that she taught me well, and make her proud. And that will make her happy again, won't it?"

"I have a feeling it's not that simple," Kanade did not want to lie to her friend by saying it was an easy matter to fix, not when it was so serious, "because maybe what she feels is envy."

Hummy did not answer. Kanade presumed that she did not even want to think that Siren could feel that towards her. She just began to sing again, and when Kanade tried to speak up, Hummy just sang louder. Resigned, she sat down and resumed her practice, but could not give it all her attention. Even Hummy is worried, the ever-cheerful Hummy, and that felt so wrong. And Hibiki and Ellen were an ocean away, on that damn kingdom. Why did they not listen to Kanade and just stay in Majorland, where it's safe, and live surrounded by beautiful music, instead of that terrible place where the Precure were more occupied with politics and war than with their duty to the greater good. Why was Hibiki not worried at all? Was she truly convinced that the Precure Kingdom was a paradise?

Paradise is being with the ones you love. And Hibiki's loved ones certainly weren't a thousand miles away.

Then Kanade realized something that ashamed her. Practice is over, she declared, and she retreated to her quarters before anyone could tell she was upset.

Am I truly worried about Hibiki, or do I simply not want her away from me? Ah, how selfish I am, she thought as she threw herself against her bed and did not move. Kanade felt their precious bond wrapping itself around her neck, squeezing, making her suffer every moment she wasn't close to Hibiki.

She looked at the empty space on the bed she shared with Hibiki, and she felt empty as well, empty and stupid. She closed her eyes, and waited for sleep to take her.

And there she was, clad in pink among a horde of faceless Precure. Melody, all alone, yet when Kanade was close to reaching her, the scenery changed. The dream moved too fast, and it was too blurry, but Kanade could see Hibiki clearly, first in the middle of an endless dark sea, and then in long corridors of pearly marble, running from something unknown, the ceiling closing in on her, the walls getting nearer and nearer one another. Soon she could not run, she could not move, and she could not breathe as the walls crushed her, as the Precure without a face watched her from a distance, and did nothing. Kanade cried out for Hibiki, to no avail, and then she disappeared.

Kanade woke up in tears. She looked outside, and it was already night, no sound to be heard other than her heavy breathing. She slammed the door open, not caring if she woke up the entire castle by doing so. Hibiki is in danger, she could feel it, and she would not stand there and do nothing.

* * *

_It's a pity how Suite Precure did not make such a big deal out of Hibiki and Kanade's harmony after some episodes. That could have been interesting, I think! Also, a note: the chapters are not exactly in perfect chronology. That is, this chapter did not actually take place after Tsubomi's second chapter, for example, even though it appears later. Since there's quite a bit of travelling in Erika's and Tsubomi's current chapters, assume they all take place chronologically after the other's characters chapters. They will converge later, when the Precures are not so distant, don't worry._


	8. Melody II

A shrill, aching voice woke Hibiki during the night. That noise had traces of a melody and a rhythm, but she would not dare to call that a song. It was a quiet sound, thankfully, but one that pierced Hibiki's ears all the same. Without making a sound, she opened her eyes and turned to search for where the noise was coming from.

It was an easy enough task; on the bed on the other side of the inn room, droning came from underneath Ellen's blankets, a painful, hurt sound. Hibiki listened to that agonizing cry, and then it hit her; she could tell it sounded like the Melody of Happiness, but twisted, cacophonous, sullen, and completely unlike anything that Ellen had ever sung before. She felt sorry for Ellen, and had the urge to get up and comfort her friend, but she knew Ellen would rather be left alone. Hibiki held back some tears and tried not to think of sad things.

She couldn't. She remembered when her ship sailed and she waved at Kanade, but there was no reaction from her, no goodbye. Kanade never wanted to leave Majorland, she only agreed to do so to stay close to Hibiki, but even so she found an excuse to stay there for a little longer.

"Why should we share our music with the Precure Kingdom?" Kanade said the last time they argued. "Do you really think they care about it? Oh, please, they just find music a pleasant little distraction, something for nobles to listen to while they're bored. If you'd like to become Beauty's little plaything and entertain her after her so, so hard duties," Kanade said with bitterness, "then suit yourself. See if I care."

"But will you go?"

That question seemed to disarm Kanade. She expected Hibiki to keep arguing, surely, but instead Hibiki just said she wanted her. With that, the callousness was gone from her face, replaced with guilt. Kanade tried to compose herself, and avoided Hibiki's eyes.

"Yes, of course, we must stay together, because I-" Kanade did not finish her phrase. She just sighed instead, and turned back to face Hibiki. "But I have been hired to play a few songs for a sick child. Maybe my music can heal her heart, if not her body."

And that was it. Kanade was cold ever since, even as Hibiki departed. Ellen was cold as well, suffering silently and not looking for any help. Hibiki felt so alone, and that sadness took hold of her heart and kept her awake the rest of the night. How do I fix it, what do I have to do to make things better?, these thoughts were on her mind all night, and by dawn she had not yet found her answer.

I cannot fix this at all, she concluded.

Once dressed and kempt, she headed outside and met with Miki, who smiled at her. Why was she smiling? There is no reason to smile. Hibiki faked a smile, and that satisfied Miki.

"I hope Ellen joins us soon, as we should leave quickly," Miki said. "We can reach the Palace of Smiles by nightfall, it's pretty close to Calmtide. And then you'll be able to share your music, isn't that wonderful?"

"It would be if I were with Rhythm."

For a moment Miki's smile turned into a worried frown, but it was only a moment; soon she put on her smile again. It seemed like such a practiced smile, Hibiki thought, one so perfectly faked that it could fool Hibiki had she not noticed Miki's fleeting worry.

"I'm sorry," Hibiki said, "I'm just not used to not being with Kanade, so I'm a bit melancholic."

"There's no need to apologize, dear, parting ways with friends, even if only for a while, is truly heartbreaking. Far too often I'm away from the Palace of Smiles, taking care of royal affairs by myself, so I understand your feelings, even if only a little."

Hibiki doubted she really understood, but that was not Miki's fault. No Precure could possibly understand the bonds between Hibiki and Kanade, as they never experienced harmony as they had. They do not know our song, Hibiki thought, because only our own two hearts together can play it.

Ellen joined them, still silent, still keeping her head down. Hibiki hoped that Ellen had no idea that she had heard that miserable song. She could not know, though, as Ellen kept quiet.

A carriage awaited them on the outskirts of town; the rider was an old man with a polite and friendly presence. He smiled at the girls, bowed and then asked them to enter. Miki did so and she sat inside with a very regal demeanor that seemed far too pompous. Hibiki and Ellen followed her, and then the carriage started moving, horseshoes clopping on the road's cobblestone. There was something pleasant about that sound; it had a rhythm of its own, Hibiki noticed. Clop, clop, clop it went, and soon Hibiki got caught in that beat and did not notice the landscapes that they passed by.

Ellen seemed lost as well; with her eyes closed, she faced the windows, and lightly moved her head, like a metronome to the beat. Soon she was making soft popping sounds with her mouth, so soft that Hibiki knew she could only notice them because she had a well trained ear.

"Look," Miki pointed outside in the distance, at a great castle in the middle of a frozen lake. As they approached it, the air grew colder and colder, and soon the frost hugged her with its freezing embrace, biting at her face. "That's the keep of House Aoki, where Her Majesty was born."

"Why is it so cold?" Hibiki asked, rubbing her hands together to try to keep warm, but failing.

"These lands are under a spell of eternal winter, and they have been for the past few centuries," Miki explained. "House Aoki does not hold any lands other than the region of Calmtide, truth be told, only lakes and rivers."

Hibiki stared dumbfounded at the enormous castle and its frozen spires. She trembled, as did Ellen, and she glared at Miki for not warning them to bring warmer clothes, but she did not seem to notice it at all. Soon they left the ice castle behind, and the frozen rivers and lakes disappared in the distance. Then it was warm once more, a pleasant spring afternoon where the sun shone brightly and birds chirped, leaves skittered along the grasslands on the sides of the road, taken by the wind. What a sweet song, Hibiki thought, and she closed her eyes and just listened.

And she fell asleep to that song, yet she still could hear it in her sleep, the whistling wind slowly growing louder, and soon its sound became that of a dozen violins, cellos, violas being played passionately, while the clopping was now a tambourine, and also timpani, cymbals and triangles. Her dream was dark and empty, but as the music grew louder, stagelights began to gleam, reveling a spacious circular stage, and an ornate piano stood proudly in the center, its white so bright that it burned Hibiki's eyes.

And there she was clad in white, playing the piano by herself. Rhythm, all alone, and no matter how much Hibiki ran towards her, she could not get closer, and the white grew brighter until it blazed and enveloped Rhythm in white fulgor. The amphitheatre was lightened up now, revealing thousands and thousands of empty seats all around it. The drums came to a crashing halt, the strings were dissonant and one by one their sound was snuffed, until there was no other sound but the piano, and the song that was cheerful one moment ago was now funereal, full of sorrow and occasional notes of anger. Only now could she hear Kanade's weeping, that agonizing sound that hurt more than anything else. And she burned and burned, and even though Hibiki ran and extended her hand, she could not grasp Kanade, and soon the music came to its conclusion with a cacophonic sound, as if all keys were punched at the same time.

Then she woke, her head aching and her heart flayed. She tried not to reveal her distress, but she could tell her face betrayed her, as Miki looked with concern.

"Did you have a bad dream, Hibiki?"

"Yes," Hibiki could not even bother thinking of a lie.

"Ah, dear, do you want to talk about it? This anguished expression does not suit you at all."

Hibiki did not know how to answer; how could she trust Miki, so soon? She could not tell her anything. But she could not tell Ellen anything as well, as she surely was suffering much more. Nobody can help me, she concluded, and she told Miki she was fine, then retreated deep inside into her thoughts.

Now she could not care about the lush landscapes outside anymore, and Hibiki felt trapped in this carriage where she could not count on anyone, where she could not even cry.

When she looked outside again, she saw high walls and the sky dyed a light orange as the sun began to set. Hibiki passed by great gates and saw herself surrounded by opulent gardens, fountains and statues of proud Cures, all of them crowned and holding scepters. She could see the clock tower above everything else, and its bells began to ring as they got off the carriage.

"We were expecting you to arrive tomorrow, Berry," said the girl clad in pink with a face unfamiliar to Hibiki. She looked around, and saw nothing but unfamiliar faces looking at her. Her voice was jovial and warm. "This is very good."

"Yes, indeed. I chose to leave early in the morning instead of setting off during the afternoon and resting in Frost Hall, as I had planned at first. I hope Her Majesty is not upset by this change of plans."

"Not at all," Hibiki heard a calm voice in the distance. She turned to it, and saw her; Queen Beauty, her visage gracious even from afar. A Precure wearing a bright green outfit was by her side, and held Beauty's hand as she got down the staircase in front of the palace's large wooden door.

Berry and the other girl knelt, and Hibiki was quick to imitate them. Ellen did not even leave the carriage; she just stayed there, with an indifferent expression.

"Happy," Beauty turned to the pink girl, "would you kindly make the proper preparations for our guests?" Happy simply nodded and excused herself.

"A-Ah, we won't really need anything special!" Hibiki said.

"Do you not wish to play any songs tonight," Beauty asked, disappointed. "Forgive me, I was looking forward to it, but I can wait until you are well rested. It was a tiring trip, wasn't it? Well, don't you worry, the concert hall will be ready for you tomorrow, then. We have all kinds of instruments there, so you may practice if you'd like."

"Oh, so you're talking about that kind of preparations," Hibiki said. "I-I thought you had asked her to go make my bed or something."

Beauty giggled, as did the girl beside her.

"Isn't she funny, March?" She turned to Hibiki again. "No, Melody, your quarters have been prepared for quite a while now. And, as you requested, there is a bed for you and Rhythm to share," she and March took a peek into the carriage.

"Where is Rhythm, speaking of that?" March asked.

As much as Hibiki did not want to tell that story again and think of her separation from Kanade, even if it was a temporary one, she told them the story the best she could, making sure not to mention any of their arguments.

"That's a pity, but it's understandable," Beauty did not look too bothered. "What a kind heart your partner has! As much as I'd love to hear her songs, I think an ill child deserves it far more than I do."

Hibiki nodded. She nodded many times that night, as she agreed to everything that Berry, March and Beauty said, not paying much attention to what it actually was. Most likely just empty formalities, she thought. Of course the nobility in Majorland was like that as well, but Kanade had already warned her that the nobles of the Precure Kingdom are even more pompous and vapid. She did not think it was as bad as Kanade said, but she could not deny that they did in fact talk a lot without always saying much.

Dinner was fancy, as expected, and of course, everyone spoke a lot during it. Happy ate so quickly, but all the others on the dinner table ate at the same pace of Beauty. That is, they all ate slowly, as whenever Beauty would put something on her plate, it first had to be tested by a taster, a boy probably not yet in his twenties. That struck Hibiki was very weird; was Beauty just paranoid, or was there a genuine threat of her being poisoned? Who at court would want to assassinate her, the well loved queen of the Precure Kingdom? Hibiki could not understand that, and it made her uncomfortable. Were there power struggles she was not aware of? Should she be concerned?

Ellen had not yet taken a single bite by the time all the others had finished eating. With her knife she cut her potatoes in many little pieces, then she mashed them and just left them there. March and Happy took their leave when their queen finished eating and bid goodnight to the all who were there. Ellen and Hibiki just got up and stood in a corner until Miki approached them.

"I'll show you to your quarters," she said, and turned to Ellen. "I'm afraid your bedroom will be a bit unkempt, unless you and Hibiki want to sleep together," they both shook their heads in unison as Miki said that. "Alright, then. Most of the castle is full, as we have many visitors now, but don't worry, the north wing is full of available quarters, and they go unused most of the time. It'll be just you two in that entire part of the palace," Miki thought for a second. "Or rather, you two, me, Pine and the fairies. The north wing is where my friend Buki takes care of the fairies, but you don't need to worry, as they aren't loud."

The corridors of the palace were of a white marble that was slightly tinted blue. It did not feel too warm or too cold in the palace, and for that Hibiki was grateful; she was used to the mild climate of Majorland, and though the Precure Kingdom was not that bad to someone who was used to it, it was still a little bit too cold for Hibiki.

They passed by an enormous room full of fairies; some were asleep on tiny beds, while others chatted. Miki waved at the girl who was there, taking care of them, and Hibiki assumed that was Buki. Hummy would really like it here, I'm sure, she thought.

"If you feel alone, Ellen, you can come here!" Hibiki said, without thinking.

"Why would I want to?" She said, coldly.

"Ah, I just thought that maybe you'd like to talk to some fellow fairies."

That seemed to bother Ellen, who frowned, but said nothing. The silence that followed was awkward and uncomfortable, and Hibiki was a bit glad to part ways with Ellen when Miki took her to her bedroom.

Hibiki's quarters were very luxurious; a bit too luxurious, perhaps, but she would not complain. There were books there, and a very large canopy bed, with pink and white pillows. Hibiki sighed, wishing Kanade could be there.

"Well, there we go," said Miki. "Your bedroom. If you ever need anything, just search for me, alright?" Miki smiled, but Hibiki knew that she'd hate to be interrupted during her sleep. "Goodnight, Hibiki."

"Goodnight, Miki," she said and then closed her door.

The bedroom was lit by candle light; one candle by the side of her bed and another on a desk close to the bookshelves. Hibiki checked the books; they were mostly poetry, but some held sheet music inside them, and Hibiki studied them closely until she felt sleepy.

She closed the windows, changed to her nightgown, locked the door, blew out the candles and went to bed. She looked at her side, the empty half of the bed, and sighed. Hibiki was missing her other half too, she lamented. She thought of Kanade, and felt her heart become heavy. She just looked at the darkness, but could not see a thing, even though her eyes tried to scrutinize everything. She heard the night's melody, leaves fluttering and hitting the palace walls. Hibiki wondered if she could hear Ellen's singing again if she focused, but there was no agonized song this night. Then the wind stopped, and there was only silence, only stillness. Hibiki heard quiet steps in the corridor, and wondered who it was. Then she heard the door blast open, breaking apart and sending splinters all over the floor.

The corridor's torches now lighted up her bedroom a bit, and Hibiki could see a hooded figure at the door, creeping up, with blades in hands. Hibiki reached for her Cure Module, but nothing happened; no warmth nor light irradiated from it.

Kanade's not here. I cannot transform. Hibiki felt a shiver run all over her body, and she flinched for a moment that was far too long.

The assassin approached her wordlessly; she did not hold a sword or dagger, but instead had many long blades between her fingers. She lunged against Hibiki, and she knew the blades would pierce her right in the face; Hibiki lifted the pillow closest to her and blocked the daggers with it. The blades were only an inch away from her eyes. Then her other hand came down, and Hibiki rolled off the bed. She heard a shrill groan, and got up again.

Hibiki ran towards the door, and cried out for help; she looked back, and saw the knives being tossed against her. Hibiki tried to dodge them, but she could feel how limited her movements were, untransformed, and one of them barely missed her arm, just lightly scraping it.

At the corridor, she looked around, disoriented, trying to find a way out, but all she could see were closed doors and endless hallways, and nowhere to go.

Hibiki kept running, not daring to look back, and these corridors did not seem to go anywhere. She could not even tell where she was running, but she knew she couldn't stop now.

And then she dared to look back. She could not see much because of the hood, but she saw a cruel smile and the blades approaching. And then she heard the soft, peaceful tune of a flute, and saw a great sphere of light approaching quickly, hitting the assailant and knocking her back against a wall.

"Behind me, Hibiki!" Pine yelled, and Hibiki promptly obeyed. In the dark, Hibiki could not recognize the assassin, and once she got up, she had put on her hood once again. The killer looked around, and seemed about to strike again, but her blades were all scattered on the floor. She simply grunted and snapped her fingers, and then all the torches were stifled. Hibiki heard hurried steps, and glass breaking.

"Are you alright, Hibiki?" Pine asked as she created a small light with the rod on her hands. "Are you hurt?"

Hibiki showed the tiny cut on her arm. It was hardly bleeding. She could not believe her luck, and the fact that it was mere luck terrified her. She could have died; she could have reacted half a second too slowly, and then her face would have been carved up. She cried on Pine's arms; if only Kanade were here, I would have been safe, warm, happy.

But Kanade is an ocean away, and right now Hibiki could not think of anything more horrifying than that.


	9. Peach II

The hidden crimson crystal shattered with the force of Peach's blow, and the metallic monstrosity came crumbling down immediately, its pieces scattered around on the dirt. They shone bright red and burned, leaving the very ground scorched, and then there was nothing left of them.

"What are these guys, Peach?" Tart said, his voice trembling in his worry.

She could not even pretend she had the slightest idea about the situation; what these monsters were, where they came from, what was their purpose, she could not even begin to imagine it. Their bodies were made of some kind of metal, that was clear, but it was not iron, nor steel. It was something far harder, something that Love did not recognize.

She shrugged, for what else could she do? Tart sighed, and examined the tiny remains of the crystal, all that was left of the creature. His slightest touch turned them into fine red dust, soon blown into the air.

At least she knew how to fight them, now. They were mighty, and whatever material shielded them was very strong, but they all had these large crystals in their bodies, and would collapse as soon as they were destroyed. Some were well hidden, while others were plain to see, in the beasts' chests.

Love was doing the first part of her job; getting rid of these monsters. She still did not know how to investigate, as she could not find any clues she could piece together and figure out the puzzle. For now, it seemed to her that it was more important to simply protect the villages and its helpless people. Why were they abandoned to their own luck? Not long ago the riverlands were protected by soldiers of House Aoki, even though the region was rather distant from their great keep, Iceclaw. They had never failed to keep these lands safe before, so why were they gone?

"No sign from House Tsukikagi, either," Love thought aloud. "Has Silver Moon closed its gates already?"

"No, not yet," Tart said. "I don't understand this at all."

Love nodded, feeling helpless against this situation. She looked at a nearby house; parts of its walls were covered in a layer of a strange grey material, hard and uncomfortable to the touch. There was more of that thing all over the villages that Love freed; the work of those monsters, no doubt.

The populace could now leave their hiding places, though there wasn't much to return to; many houses were wrecked, mere rubble on the ground, and their farms were destroyed. Love saw the terrified looks on the eyes of the villages, their children, and it cut her heart like a cold, sharp dagger. They had nowhere to go, and it didn't seem like they could count on Silver Moon anymore.

"Are you a Precure, miss?" A boy asked, and she nodded.

"Why are you so late, then?" A man got too close to her, rage burning on his reddened face.

"Why aren't there any soldiers here to help us? There used to be!"

They were not even speaking to Peach anymore, just yelling, each one louder than the last.

"Of course there aren't any soldiers here, that idiot sent them all away!" Peach heard an old lady say, and it was the only thing that caught her attention in the middle of all those people talking.

"Wait, who's the idiot?" She asked. "I do not understand what's going on."

"That idiot is Lady Haruna," she said with bitterness. "When her daughter disappeared, she sent all her soldiers north to look for her."

Love could not believe that. Or rather, she could, but desperately wanted not to. It was true, then; Haruna had gone mad with grief. Love could understand her pain, not knowing where her child was, not knowing if she was safe, but she had expected the lady of one of the greatest houses in the Precure Kingdom to have some sense of responsibility.

"And you!" That angry man got even closer, and pointed at her, his index almost poking her eye. "Why do you filthy Precure not help?"

"I-I'm helping!" Love tried to keep up with the man's loudness. "I saved four villages from those monsters today, and the afternoon is not even over!"

"Funny," a woman said while she comforted her weeping baby, "I don't feel saved, and I don't think anybody here does. The monster already attacked us, he already destroyed our houses, he already killed my husband, and other people's husbands, and sons, fathers!"

Love could not answer that. It was all true. All she wanted to do now was run away from all this, but that would be a coward's reaction, so instead she stood there and let them yell at her, let them grab her, shove her around, and when they were done with her, she did not want to get up.

"Come on, Peach!" Tart grabbed her hand and tried to get her up, in vain. "We have to go!"

"You see it now, don't you, Tart?" Love did not bother listening to what he said. "What a failure this just was."

"What do you mean?"

She rose, sighed, and looked at the ruins, people scrambling to find something of value there.

"This peace did not last, and we were not prepared for this. The Palace of Smiles throws parties while the east starves, while the west is under attack by these forces we do not know, while the north could fall almost any day. Moonlight is gone, or worse, so what have we left? Those Cures from Majorland are our friends, yes, but they are singers, musicians, not protectors. Muse may act like she's a great guardian of peace, but what does she do besides playing her harp sometimes? Beauty's days as a warrior are over now that she sits on the throne, and it looks like nobody will do anything to protect the Kingdom, because they assumed it would never need protection," she laughed, bitter. "Well, it does."

When did she get so harsh?, she wondered, but she knew the answer. It seemed like the Precure Kingdom was growing more and more decadent by the day, and even she could not remain cheerful when she thought of that. She didn't see the Precure protecting the helpless; she saw them in feasts, in concert halls, she saw unprotected lands, she saw the Sunflower Aegis' defense in the hands of rookies. How sad would Black and White be if they discovered how desecrated their dream had become.

"What now, Peach?" Tarte asked Love, lost in thought.

Love looked at the distance, in the direction of Silver Moon; far away she saw smoke rising from a small village. You have not been abandoned, she wanted to tell them, there are still some of us who have not forgotten their duty. She smiled, her resolve renewed and strengthened.

"We go to Silver Moon, of course, because I'm sure that's where our enemies have their eyes set on, and we will free every village on our way."

"All of them? But that might slow us d-"

"All of them," she said, firm, and Tart smiled, as if that was exactly the answer he had hoped for.

Love set out, and walked with determined steps towards Silver Moon, not knowing what exactly would be on her way, or what exactly they would find there, but she would find out, and she would fix it. Of that she was sure.

* * *

_A shorter chapter this time, to even out the last one being pretty long. I'm also kind of considering making a map for this story, except I have the artistic skills of a shrub. Possibly worse. Oh, well. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and as always of course I'd appreciate any comments!_


	10. Rhythm II

Kanade's heart burned, agonizing in a fire she had never felt before. Not a blaze of passion that she felt when Hibiki was with her, nor one of anger when they fought, but a slow fire, born of anxiety, that blazed unbearably for a second, then ceased, leaving her cold until the fires took her heart once more.

And in her head she heard Hibiki shrieking, weeping, hurting, and that pained her as well. She did not know what was wrong, but even so it was clear that there was something wrong, and so she knew she had to act. In tears, she came to Hummy for help; the fairy did not doubt Kanade for one second, and set out with her.

The royal palace of Operetta was enormous, perhaps far too large; it looked like there was no end to its corridors, long, wide and full of statues, painting and instruments scattered around. Kanade felt the cold of the marble floors on her bare feet, as in her rush to leave and reach Hibiki her shoes were certainly not something that crossed her mind. Hummy struggled to keep up, and Kanade did not look back, nor did she hear Hummy ask her to slow down. Only when she was in the middle of the garden did she stop and realize how exhausted she was, how much she had run, how many thorns she had just stepped on. How far she still was from Hibiki.

"Come on, Kanade, you can't just run past us and ignore us," she heard a deep voice behind her. She turned back, and saw Bassdrum with Hummy in his hands, and Baritone and Falsetto at his side, panting.

"You're not going to stop me," Kanade stepped back, and prepared to run away again.

"That thought never crossed our minds, honestly," Falsetto said, almost out of breath.

"Hummy told us what happened," Baritone said. "Your harmony has never failed you, has it?"

Kanade shook her head. They might argue sometimes, and their synchronicity wasn't perfect, but even so Kanade could always tell when something was wrong with Hibiki.

"We're going with you, then," Baritone said, determined, and they all smiled at Kanade. She smiled back, and held back some tears.

"What's your plan, Kanade?" Bassdrum asked.

"I am going to reach Hibiki and save her."

"Yes, yes, but how do we get there?" Falsetto stared at her, curious.

"I... didn't really think about it," she admitted, ashamed. She then remembered she still wore her nightgown, and did not even have her shoes on. How embarrassing it would usually be, yet now it was too late to return, nor did she want to. Hibiki was more important.

"We could get a ship, maybe," said Bassdrum. "We can embark on the first one leaving in the morning."

"No!" Kanade did not mean to yell, but she did. "Not in the morning. That would take too long."

"Well, it'll take long anyway," Falsetto scratched his chin, "since it's a long trip from here to Calmtide."

"No... we must get there soon..." Kanade felt the fire again, and the despair.

"Perhaps one of the faster ships of the navy can get there sooner," Baritone suggested.

"We'd have to ask His Majesty for permission, though," Falsetto said, "and Her Highness will have some explaining to do as to why a military ship approaches Calmtide."

"Muse would help us, and she'd convince her father, but that's still too slow, we must move faster," Kanade said, and closed her eyes in sadness. Then she saw it clearly. "The Songship. She can reach Calmtide in a day."

Her companions stared incredulous at her, as if Kanade had gone mad. Yet she thought this was one the sanest thoughts in her life.

"It belongs to the royal family," Hummy said. "We can't steal it."

"Not steal! Just use it for a little while and then return it when we bring Hibiki back. I'm a Precure and this is an emergency, so I won't be punished. None of you will be punished, if that's what worries you."

Kanade was only a heartbeat away from falling on her knees and pleading for their assistance. Now she did not care about her pride, or her safety; only Hibiki.

"Please," her voiced dropped to a ghastly whisper, each word full of her desperation. "I try not to ask anyone for help; I try to do the best with what I have and not depend on anyone. I've always held my head up high, and never asked for favors I could not repay, nor have I ever begged. Well, I'm begging now. I can't do it by myself; the Songship can't be manned by a single person."

She closed her eyes and tried not to allow the embarrassment to devour her, but its jaws were closing in on her already, and she could feel the fangs. Do you see this, Hibiki? Do you see how much I lower myself for you?

Kanade felt a hand on her shoulder, then another, and a third. She opened her eyes, and the musketeers smiled at her. Hummy grinned as well, her smile warm and kind.

"Thank you so much," Kanade said, and she felt like her heart could be a little less heavy now, even if it still burned.

It was a dark night, far too dark, and when Kanade looked up she struggled to find the moon, now only a small waning crescent, obscured by clouds. Oil lamps brightened the streets, and the delicate sound of wind chimes could be heard in the distance, a common melody during the nights in Operetta.

Kanade felt a pang of guilt as she looked at the distance; she remembered her duty to that little girl, to play her songs to calm her heart, and how she could not fulfil that commitment. She would compensate that misdeed, of that she was sure, but it still made her sad to think of the girl's disappointment.

It is too late for regrets, Kanade thought, and there's no point either. Her absence from Operetta might hurt that child, but not going to the Precure Kingdom would put Hibiki in greater danger and pain, so painful as it could be, it was not a difficult choice.

Soon they reached the docks. Close to the sea the winds were colder, but it was a comfortable breeze. Kanade stared at all those enormous ships, proud vessels of the world's greatest navy. Sometimes she could not believe their size, or their number, or how strongly armed they were. The world's only other great power now was the Precure Kingdom, and their relationship was friendly now, but even so Majorland could not afford weakness. She recalled the invasion, years ago, when the Bad End Kingdom attacked them, threatening the very existence of Majorland, as those savage unloved beasts ravaged the countryside and were only a few days' march away from the heart of the kingdom. Those ships weren't very useful back then, and they were the only exceptional part of Majorland's forces. So undefended we were, Kanade thought, before me and Hibiki transformed for the first time.

Bassdrum looked at Hummy, and put his index close to his mouth, asking her for silence. They set foot on the harbor, a maze of ships and supplies scattered around, crates and barrels everywhere. Their steps were careful and silent; whenever they heard a guard approach, they hid behind the boxes they could find until it was safe to proceed. The wood against her feet felt odd, and Kanade feared to step on splinters, but at least she was treading lightly.

And then they saw it; the Songship, far smaller than the ones surrounding her, but even so, much more majestic, despite its size. The banner of the royal family flew high atop a high mast, gently fluttering. No guards stood in front of the Songship; the docks had an absence of sentinels, as not only were there very few thieves in Majorland, of all things they could steal, why a ship? And so with no difficulty Kanade, Hummy and the Musketeers boarded the Songship.

"What now, Kanade?" Hummy asked.

Now they would play a song, of course. The ship could not hold many people, that was the tradeoff for her being so fast, and sailing her was not a matter of favorable winds or rowing. Music was what guided the ship, and not any music, but a masterful melody, of such quality that few could dream to reach. As it turns out, Kanade thought, we have reached it.

"Sing, Hummy," Kanade said. "Sing until it tires you, but keep singing anyway."

Bassdrum, Baritone and Falsetto sat down at stairs at the forecastle, holding cello, viola and violin, and preparing to sing as well, as soon as Kanade commanded.

She focused on the piano at the very center of the deck. Made of the purest wood, it seemed to glisten, so pristine, its keys a pearly white that shone in the darkness of the night. Kanade thought of a song she would often play with Hibiki, a song they never perfect, but that they kept practicing anyway. If she looked at her side, she could see Hibiki, smiling, playing with her, such a gentle expression on her face, so focused on the music, so perfect. Kanade could not think of anything half as lovely as that. She placed her hands on the keys, thinking of Hibiki, sweet beautiful Hibiki, and the fire that she felt now made her feel strong as she prepared to play the first note.

"What are you doing?" A voice called out behind her.

There stood Muse, clad in bright yellow, with a severe look on her face. She was so tiny, barely reaching Kanade's chest, but even so she looked quite threatening, looking at her like that. Kanade froze in place, and the words couldn't leave her mouth.

"I-it's not what it looks like," Bassdrum stuttered.

"Oh, it isn't? Well, it looks to me like you're stealing the Songship, but if you say it isn't, I expect a very exciting story to explain it all!" In her voice, anger and mockery were entwined. "Oh, I know! The ship must be dirty, and you plan on cleaning her with the ocean water! My, what a brilliant plan."

"I-it's not that, Muse," Kanade said, and the vulnerability in her voice seemed to shock Muse, who immediately dropped her scornful tone.

"I can't allow you to take the Songship," Muse said. "It belongs to my family, and without my father's permission, it must stay here at Operetta, safe at the docks."

"Clearly not safe enough if we could reach it this easily," Baritone whispered to Falsetto. Muse didn't seem to hear.

"Please, we need it, Hibiki's life is in danger!" Kanade cried out. "I saw it in my dreams. She needs my help."

"I don't doubt you, Kanade, you know I don't," Muse said, her voice now completely different from what it was moments ago; sorrowful and full of guilt, "but others don't understand the bond between you too. Even I don't understand it all that well. And I don't think my father would allow one of our greatest treasures to be taken to the Precure Kingdom without great protection."

Kanade approached Muse silently, and held her hands firmly, then looked her right in the eyes, with sad determination.

"Please, Ako. Hibiki really needs me. I cannot leave her alone in that place," she said with a hint of bitterness. "I know you also don't have much faith in the Precure Kingdom. You know that it can be a cruel place, and that its nobles are petty and arrogant, and that Hibiki will be alone there, without me. Ellen is there with her, but she has her own problems. And my dream..." Kanade shuddered when she thought of Hibiki in pain.

Muse was thoughtful for a few seconds, then she sighed, and let go of Kanade's hands.

"Alright. Take the Songship; I will try to appease my father, and explain to him that this situation justifies your taking of the ship. And if something did in fact happen to Hibiki, I'll try to make it so that it doesn't turn into a serious diplomatic incident; my father would be quite mad if he discovered one of the Precures of his kingdom was hurt while under the care of our allies."

She turned her back, and left, looking so very formal and pompous. Then when she was at the docks and Kanade was about to start playing, Ako interrupted them again, waving at them, smiling.

"Good luck, Kanade. She's rather tough to control, the Songship, and simply to make her move requires a great deal of effort," she extended her arms, and a line of translucent keys appeared in the air, floating, its colors like that of a small rainbow. "Mind the speed; the first few seconds, before you're used to the velocity, are the hardest."

Before Kanade could question her, Muse played a single, serene yet loud note, and the Songship bolted away, so quickly that Kanade almost fell from her piano stool. When she regained her balance, she began to play her soul, and her companions did so as well, and started to sing. She smiled as she played the song. It was Hibiki's favorite.

* * *

_The next chapter is Erika's. It's been a while since she had one, hasn't it? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the ones before it, and that you keep enjoying the ones that are soon to come!_


	11. Marine II

Erika could feel the heat deep in her bones, as if the sun was inside her. No, she thought with bitterness, the sun rests at the Sunflower Aegis right now, while she sends her lackeys to suffer in the desert for her. It wasn't fair, Erika thought, but what was fair about her situation anyway? She sighed as another day had come, the cruel sun standing proud in the sky, scorching them all.

She was glad to have Tsubomi, then; Tsubomi had as much difficulty as Erika did, of course, but they had them together, they burned together during the day and froze together during the night. Here they were, in this distant, unknown place, all alone, but not truly.

Tsubomi did not seem as bothered as Erika; she struggled, of course, but sometimes it seemed like she actually enjoyed the sun and the heat. Erika could not understand that, but it made her glad to not see Tsubomi anxious or scared all the time. Go ahead, little flower, enjoy your sun and grow strong. You are already so much more than what you were at the Aegis.

A new day meant more work, and most of it banal. For the past weeks Erika's routine had been the same; wake up, eat with Tsubomi, part ways with her, visit meeting places and offering her help to people who seemed to need it, then helping them. When she was finally done, she would return to the manor where they stayed, a great house purchased by the Precure Kingdom for its emissaries. Then she would eat again, and soon go to bed. Erika had a very organized schedule, and, as Itsuki had ordered her to do, she gave them to Magnolia. Where she'd go, when she'd come back, and when she returned, who she helped, how, when and where. Erika told her everything, and she assumed that in turn Magnolia informed Itsuki of that, so Cure Sunshine knew everything that Erika was doing.

Everything except her investigation of Yuri's whereabouts, of course.

Erika would have asked Tsubomi for help, but did not want to get her in trouble. She was doing such a good job, too; everyday Tsubomi would come back to their house a bit later than she planned, as she spent more time than she expected with the people she was assisting. She was always so tired now, Erika could see the exhaustion in her eyes, always squeezing shut.

"Are you sure you're okay, Tsubomi?" Erika asked her during dinner.

"I am, don't worry," she said in such a worn out voice that Erika could not help but keep worrying. "A child was lost earlier today, and the parents were so desperate, but the joyful look on their faces when I found their son made all the trouble I had looking for him across the whole city worth it."

"I'm glad, then," Erika said, before she ate half her food in a single mouthful. Tsubomi giggled, and so did Erika, with her mouth still full.

The next morning, Erika and Tsubomi ate together; not a great feast, of course, mostly berries and some bread, but it was enough. Outside, the daylight burned, the sun blazing so cruelly, with no mercy for those who were under its scorching gaze all day. The nights were cold, and that bothered Erika as well, but at least that was a problem that was easier to fix; you could not escape the heat, and how it burned. Erika longed for the moon now.

And she longed for Moonlight. No one in Sandstorm seemed to have any really useful information about her whereabouts.

"She was headed that way with some soldiers," they would point, and that was all they knew. As if we don't know it already, Erika thought, but she thanked them all anyway. Inside she yelled.

This morning there was commotion at the gates; a large merchant caravan had arrived, so many people, carts full of wares, more camels than Erika had ever seen. Not that she had seen many, but there were still dozens of them. She did not know that so many people and animals could fit in Sandstorm. Perhaps someone there had seen Yuri.

Questioning them would come later, though; now Erika had work to do. It took a mad sprint from one side of town to the other to keep up with all her assignments.

"Help me train these soldiers," the captain of the guard said, overwhelmed with the amount of recruits in their ranks, with no assistants. She did her best, but there wasn't much that could be done to salvage those green boys; not only because she herself was still rather untrained, but because it felt like they had never touched a weapon before, and it took so long to teach them how to properly hold on to their spears, how to maintain a tight grip that it would still take many more days to finish the first steps of their training. And she had so much more to do, so she excused herself and scurried off.

"Help me fix the holes in these walls," said a mason, pointing to a small breach in the city walls; small, but it was plain to see that it was a simple enough task to open an even larger hole.

"Do I look like a construction worker to you?" Erika blurted out. That was not the right answer, as his eyes like knives pressing against her skin showed. She shut her mouth and did her best with what little knowledge and help she had. She did a passable job, she thought, but even if it wasn't, it did not matter, for she had even more work to do.

"Help us find water," a group of women with children in their hands begged, "as the old well is almost exhausted."

Now that was a far easier job for Erika, one that was almost banal, truthfully. She put her palm on the cracked road, closed her eyes and focused until she could feel the water somewhere.

"There!" She rose triumphantly and pointed at the distance. She went there, followed by the people she helped, and stood there, hands on hips, a great proud grin on her face. "This is where you should dig! Might take a while but there's definitely some water down there!"

She heard their thanks, and their gratitude made her heart feel funny. This recognition felt wonderful, but Erika wondered if she was somehow wrong, for enjoying the glory so much, the satisfaction she got from their praise far greater than the satisfaction she got from doing something good. Well, I'm not a saint, she concluded, and set off again.

Now the sun was at its zenith, its heat even more unbearable. It was a good time to rest, she thought, and of course, what she meant by that was that it was a good time to go question someone about Moonlight.

"No clue, I'm sorry."

"I have no idea."

"Yeah, I hear she's at the desert. Wait, what do you mean you already knew that? Are you still going to pay for my drink?"

Erika sighed. This was starting to get tiresome, and as much as she did not want to lose hope, she could not help but feel like it was all for naught. The moon was lost in the land of the scorching sun, and there was nothing Erika could do.

"Moonlight?" An older man turned to her. His beard was long, grey and unkempt, and though he looked at Erika, his eyes looked like they were focused on something behind her. "Oh, child, you mean that purple haired Precure?"

"It's lavender, actually," Erika said. If there was something she would not accept, it was someone mistaking a color. No, that would just not do. "But yes, that's the one I meant."

"I saw her while I was feeding some of our animals; I don't think she noticed, she had this very fierce look on her face, like she had a mission. She seemed so angry, too, her fists closed and her heels stomping the desert sand. I called out for her, as soon as I recognized her, but she did not say anything. I tried to warn the rest of the caravan, but nobody believed me," he said bitterly. "Nobody believes the old man. Child, I was part of the caravans to the Mirage Tower since I was a tiny little baby like you, I think I deserve some respect."

"I'm fourteen," Erika said, grinding her teeth.

"Even younger than I thought!" He laughed. "You Precure are all so young! Tell me, is it true that your queen is seven years old? I hear that she's just a child."

"Those are... greatly exaggerated rumors. Beau- I mean, Her Majesty is young, only sixteen, but not a child."

"You're all children to me," he said playfully, but Erika was unamused.

"That's not important, old man," she said. "Did you say that your caravan came from the Mirage Tower?"

"Of course!" He said, his voice accusing that he did not understand how that could be surprising. "The Desert Apostles are always in need of resources, and the merchants of Sandstorm are happy to supply them, for a modest price."

"But they're the enemy!"

"Your enemy," he said, any hint of playfulness on his voice now gone, "not ours."

Erika was taken aback; how could they not be your enemies? The Desert Apostles steal and murder and have attempted to bring down the Sunflower Aegis many times. She did not try to argue, though.

"And you saw Moonlight going to the Mirage Tower? Are you sure?"

"There's not much else in that region, other than small villages, of course. She was definitely headed there."

Suddenly it wasn't hot anymore; Erika felt a chill on her bones, on her heart. She thanked the old man, who made a joke that Erika did not bother listening, and she ran to the manor, in hopes of finding Tsubomi. Luckily, she was there; while Erika would spend her break time searching for information about Moonlight, Tsubomi would spent hers at their manor, eating and caring for her precious flowers that suffered so much in the heat.

"Tsubomi," Erika called her out, still out of breath from running all across the city, almost falling, "I know where Moonlight is headed to. She was seen on the way to the Mirage Tower."

Erika feared that Tsubomi would question her, argue with her, say that they had orders from Sunshine, but Tsubomi just stared with stern determination on her face.

"Alright," she said, and the cold left her body with those words of support, "let's be fast, then, and find her."

* * *

_A note on characters' ages: while Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki kept their canon ages, the Suite Precures are one year older, the Smile Precures are two years older, the Fresh Precure, three, and Yuri is eighteen._


	12. Eas II

The moon was hidden now, almost unseen in the night. Most of Silver Moon had been swallowed by the mountain already, much like the moon itself was swallowed by the darkness. Now only the main gate and the atrium remained above the ground, but not for long. Soon Silver Moon would be completely hidden.

But not soon enough. Soular brought ill news from the Nakewameke forces charged with patrolling House Tsukikage's lands; a Precure had been sighted, destroying the machines with little trouble. It was Cure Peach, he told them.

"There are only two Precure you have to fear," Northa told them as they left the safety of the remains of Labyrinth to fulfill their mission, "and one of them is far north, closer to the desert than to her own lands. The other is Cure Peach. She is a veteran and a great hero of the war against the Bad End Kingdom, a Precure of the last generation before their decadence."

She was coming; Eas knew that, and she knew fighting Peach would be dangerous. With Soular and Westar, she could be victorious, but she did not think that all of them would survive that encounter. And even if they won, the Precure Kingdom would surely retaliate after losing one of its most renowned Cures.

Eas pondered as she walked the empty halls of Silver Moon; most of its inhabitants were hidden in their quarters or in the depths of the mountain. She made an effort to approach the few that she could find, trying to show them the kinder side of Labyrinth, convert them, but it was in vain. The fools did not understand their glory; they would rather spend their lives buried in this hole, wallowing in mud and dirt, than experiencing progress in the underground complex that was Labyrinth. How despicable, Eas thought.

Haruna was still locked away in her bedroom; thrice a day Eas would bring her food. Eas never saw her eating, though. She never saw Haruna do much of anything, actually; she just sat on a chair on on her bed all day, sometimes praying, but no more.

Her chambers were scarcely adorned; a small bed, an empty bookshelf, a wardrobe, a small altar. And paintings. Many paintings, large ones on the walls and smaller ones on the many nightstands scattered over the room. Haruna protested when Eas laid her hand on them, but what could she do?

They were all portraits of Haruna and Yuri together; the mother had a great grin on her face, and the daughter had a calm smile. Yuri looked younger in those paintings, perhaps twelve or thirteen. A more recent one showed her as Cure Moonlight, her smile replaced with a look of great determination.

The largest of the paintings was what first caught Eas' attention; Yuri, a child, with her mother, on the left side of the canvas. The right side was gone, torn away; Yuri and Haruna both held hands with someone at the removed part of the portrait.

"Explain it," Eas commanded, curious, but Haruna did not answer. No matter how much she insisted, she never got her answer. "It's your husband, isn't it? Why do you not want him in the paintings of your family anymore? That's no way to remember a dead man."

But Haruna only turned her head away. Eas thought she saw tears on the woman's face, but did not bother looking closer; Westar had called her, asked her what they were going to do now that Cure Peach was approaching.

"Will we fight?"

"Is it worth it? If we do fight, you understand that this means open war, right?"

"Perhaps it is time for open war, then," Soular said as he approached them. "For too long our proud country has been forced to hide under the ground, forced to be mere remnants of what was once the world's greatest power. We can win this war, Eas. Our tactics are superior, and so are our weapons."

"I know, Soular, but our orders aren't to simply strike against the Palace of Smiles immediately. Northa's commands, remember: without Infinity, no war."

Soular and Westar nodded, disgruntled. She knew they were eager to bring down the Precure Kingdom immediately, a feeling she herself had as well, but Lady Northa's orders were clear; finding Infinity was their priority.

"But how will we even find Infinity?" Westar asked. Eas meant to call him an idiot and explain their plan to him, but she realized they did not have a plan, and she did not really know how to continue their search for Infinity. It was a well kept secret, and only the greatest houses could possibly know about it, Klein told them.

"I suppose we should consider striking against one of the other houses," Eas said, "but truth be told, I am unsure of our chances with such a small force."

"Do you doubt Labyrinth's might, Eas?" Soular asked, on his face a devious smile he did not try to hide. Eas knew how much he wished to lead the invasion, and how frustrated it made him to see her in the place he thought that should be his by rights.

"No, Soular, I'm simply being careful," she said, calmly. Once she would argue with Soular for hours when they disagreed; not anymore, though. She knew it was not worth it.

"Should we maybe contact Lady Northa?" Westar asked, oblivious to the tension between Soular and Eas.

Eas grabbed the bottle of pure sorrow that she held with her, and remember her instructions. Two drops on any flower, and then wait a few seconds. She looked at the flask; given to her by Northa, gathered from citizens of Labyrinth who sought the help of the Department of Joy, to take away their misery and make them love Lord Moebius again. Inside the vial was an orange liquid, the very essence of their suffering. How generous of Labyrinth to free its denizens from sadness and turn those emotions into something useful! How brilliant you are, Lady Northa, Eas thought. Eas admired her as well, but she also feared her; Northa did not tolerate failure and incompetence, and the last Labyrinth agent who bothered her with worthless questions was met with a terrible fate.

"Not now," Eas said. She would think of a solution herself; anything less was not worthy of one of Lord Moebius' faithful servants. "We will hold," she said, determined, "for even Cure Peach cannot breach the walls of Silver Moon, and soon we will be hidden underneath the earth."

Soular and Westar nodded; the former out of courtesy, clearly meaning to question Eas, but the latter was seemed full of enthusiasm.

"That's it, Eas! We'll bash the Precure scum!" Westar flexed his muscles. Will he ever get tired of that?, Eas wondered.

Then she heard a loud sound, the sound of metal bursting and hitting walls, debris clashing against each other. A noise that came from the unbreachable gate, guarded by all the available Nakewameke.

"Change of plans," Eas tried to keep her composure. "I don't think we can hold."

She looked around, not knowing what she was looking at, hoping that a solution would present itself, that there was a way out. She turned back to Haruna's bedroom, where she still sat on her bed, still praying silently. Eas grabbed the woman, and shook her, yelling.

"A way out! There must be one, whoever built this castle surely wasn't stupid enough to only have one way out!" Eas was about to slap Haruna, still silent, but then she got up without saying a word. She approached the large, torn painting, and removed it from the wall with great care; behind it was a small notch. Haruna removed her ring and placed it in the hole.

The stones began to move, so loud, and soon the wall was gone; a long, wide corridor was now plain to see, and at its end, stairs.

"W-why didn't you get out, or let someone out to get help, you fool?"

"What for?" Haruna said, her voice now that of a broken woman. "Nothing matters now that my moon is gone."

"And why did you let us out, then, instead of just leaving us here as your savior approaches?"

"Why not?" She stared at Eas with hollow eyes. "This is surely punishment for my sins," she looked at the portrait again, and put her hand on Yuri's hair. "I should never have allowed her to become a Precure. Glory to my house was not worth losing her. Duty was not worth losing her."

Eas sighed. What a pathetic creature, made of nothing but grief and sorrow. She called Soular and Westar, and they made their way to the corridor; Haruna said it would lead them to the heart of the mountain, and eventually, to a small abandoned house, and then they would be free.

"Never run," Eas remembered Northa say that the day she was given her control crystal, when she was accepted as a loyal agent of Labyrinth, the will of Lord Moebius, "never compromise, never value your life above your mission. Do what must be done for the good of Lord Moebius, even if it costs your life; as a sacrifice to the greatness of Labyrinth, you will be of more importance in death than you would ever be in life."

Eas did not run. She stood behind her companions, and they only noticed her absence when they were at the stairs.

"Eas?" Westar looked behind, and extended his hand to her. "I want to fight too, but you said that today is not the day we fight, and I believe in you."

"No. We do not fight today," she smiled as something took hold of her mind. "Today we truly begin our ascension. I will stay."

"Are you suicidal?" Soular asked with a mix of outrage and amusement.

"No," her smile grew wider and more filled with devilish intention. "Lady Haruna, you said that only the Precure know about Infinity. Well, the Precure are here for us, or, at least, Cure Peach is. Ah, the kind hearted Precure, so willing to believe that all who oppose them are simply misguided, that they would be quick to join their side if they simply see the light," Eas chuckled. "Just imagine, Cure Peach finding me, a redeemed former agent of Labyrinth, turned traitor, an-"

"Are you a traitor, Eas?" Westar asked. This one is hopeless, she thought.

"No, you imbecile. I will trick the Precure. Pretend I will help them fight the threat of Labyrinth. Infiltrate their ranks. Make them believe I am feeding them essential information, until they trust me, until I learn about Infinity, until the day comes where my knife finds its way in her backs, when we have Infinity, when those usurpers burn and their lands lie in ruin, and they look at me in disbelief that their judgment was ever wrong. That's what I will do, Westar; with my words I will accomplish more than you ever would with your fists. Labyrinth, glorious once more, by my hand," that made her heart swell with pride.

"Then give it to us," Soular pointed at her control crystal, the gem she used to control her Nakewameke. "As a guarantee. So that they will not doubt you are a traitor."

"Fine," she did not protest; she tossed it to him. If that was what she needed to silence his objections, so be it.

"The Nakewameke will not see you as an ally now," he told her, as if she did not already know. "Don't die. Don't screw it up."

She nodded, and turned her back on them. Soon they were gone; they had descended the stairs, and she was walking across the corridors of Silver Moon until she reached the Precure sent here to destroy them. She heard a girl's voice.

"Is there anyone here? Is anyone hurt?"

"Help," Eas made an effort to sound puny and afraid. "A-Are you a Precure?"

"I am," she said. The girl had this proud, determined look about her. Eas saw a gentle face, not the gentleness of frailty, but of certainty. "Who are you?"

"My name is Eas, traitor of Labyrinth," Peach's eyes scanned her with curiosity. "With my companions, I struck against the lands of house Tsukikage, and Silver Moon," she fell to her knees, "but no more. They have escaped with lady Haruna, with ill intentions, and I chose not to stand by and watch this atrocity."

Peach kept looking at her. This was it, Eas knew it, the moment where she was at the complete mercy of this Precure, of her disposition to believe that an enemy had deserted. She can kill me now, she thought, and she would be justified. She didn't.

"What you did made you feel guilt?"

"More than you can imagine. I know I have done bad things, but I wish to stop. I can help you; please, let me. Let me wash away all of this."

Eas expected some expression of disgust, some empty, formal words of forgiveness, if any. What she heard was something too strange; words with warmth and kindness that she never knew to be real.

"Get up, Eas," Peach smiled. "Let us leave before Silver Moon is buried; you have much to tell me, I think, and I'd love to hear it all."

* * *

_I've been looking foward to writing about these two meeting for a while; not only because it's my favorite pairing (heh) but also because I think their interactions can be very interesting. I hope you agree! Next chapter is a Tsubomi POV, and it kind of marks the end of these introductory arcs. As always, I hope you enjoyed this, and comments are appreciated!_


	13. Blossom III

Tsubomi clutched Erika's hand tightly. I must keep moving. I must not tire. But it was so hard; they were in the Great Desert now, and the winds were scorching, the sun was cruel and Tsubomi felt like her legs were about to give out. Once again she felt like falling and giving up, laying down with her face in the sand, waiting for the earth to swallow her.

But I can't let Erika down, or let Moonlight down. Not now. She squeezed Erika's hand, and kept walking. She look beside her, and saw that Erika faltered as well, she limped, and even when she didn't, her steps were short and her legs tremble. She did not give up, though, so neither would Tsubomi.

The sky was a bright blue devoid of clouds; what little trees they found on their way were dead, and only a few bushes, cacti and thorns were there to fill that endless desolation. The fabric of Tsubomi's top clung to her skin, sweaty and sticky, but her boots were stiff, covered with dirt. How gross she felt; she looked at Erika, and recalled her enthusiasm for fashion and how she valued glamor. She was likely suffering even more, Tsubomi thought.

Many villages were in their way, filled with small houses of fractured brown bricks. Have you seen a girl like this?, Tsubomi and Erika asked all those who were in their way, but did not get any answers. The villagers avoided them; the Precure were clearly not welcome here.

But they must keep going, with or without help. They braved the sea of sand, and the dunes, its waves. Still the sky went on and on, ever blue. The carcasses being devoured by vultures were the only company they found on the desert, and the carrion was the only smell other than the dry earth.

"How far are we from the Mirage Tower?" Tsubomi asked with cracked lips.

"Quite far, I'm afraid," Erika said, and Tsubomi thought the noise that came from her mouth could be laughter,, but it was hard to even speak now, let alone laugh.

How disheartening. Still she scanned her surroundings carefully, in search of any sign of life, in search of Moonlight. Soon the sky turned golden and the blistering heat was replaced by the cutting cold. Then it was black, and the moon did not shine in the skies, being clad in darkness instead. That made Tsubomi feel uneasy.

And how dark it was now, and how cold. At first Tsubomi did her best to see everything, eyes searching meticulously, but soon she noticed how tired she was, as her legs began to fail her, and walking on an empty stomach felt like her belly was being stabbed with something blunted every two minutes or so. And there were sounds all around her now, rattling and howling, but she could not see where they came from. Tsubomi looked everywhere, and saw nothing but sand and shadows, and as her eyes tired, she could not tell anything apart, and she could see things moving that were not there, and she clung tighter and tighter to Erika, their arms entwined.

Erika carried Tsubomi when she needed, and Tsubomi mustered all her strength to help her partner too. She smiled at Erika with what little strength she had left, and the smile she saw in return seemed to give her a little bit of energy, just the little bit she needed for one more step, and even though when the sun set Tsubomi thought she wouldn't live through this night, she did. She looked at Erika, her determination and strength, and pulled her even closer to feel her warmth. The sun rose again, and once more it burned, but it did not hurt this time; Tsubomi could feel Erika's heart now, and it kept her safe. She did her best to protect Erika as well.

Even so they struggled, even so it hurt to walk on an empty stomach. Erika smiled frailly at Tsubomi. This was so poorly thought out, they said to each other with their tired eyes, eyes too tired to possibly see Moonlight now.

But Tsubomi saw something shine in the distance; a faint sparkle that disappeared when she blinked. She pointed at it, and squeezed Erika's arm. Look, look, there's something there, she would say if she could. Tsubomi ran towards it, even though a minute before she did not think she could even gather the energy to run. Please be her, she begged as she ran, as she felt her legs crumbling, as she felt like falling, but she refused to fall.

Was that the glorious, proud and honored Cure Moonlight? Tsubomi saw a girl with shaggy purple hair, dead eyes, limping, not even looking where she was going. This is a corpse, Tsubomi thought, not Cure Moonlight, but no, this was definitely her; broken as she was, there was no mistaking Yuri Tsukikage for anyone else. She did not react to Erika and Tsubomi; she just kept walking, unaware of anything. Tsubomi called out for her, but her voice came out thin and frail, and the girl kept moving until Tsubomi and Erika grabbed her arms.

Yuri looked at her, and Tsubomi let go of her arm, disturbed. Hollow eyes of a deep blue that showed no kindness, no love, nothing, just emptiness, an abyss. Tsubomi dared not look at those eyes, lest she get lost in that sadness herself.

"M-Moonlight?" Erika said, and Yuri just turned her head to look at her. Erika then looked down, to avoid her gaze.

"We're here for you, Moonlight," Tsubomi tried her best to make her voice sound warm and inviting, but instead she just sounded shaken. "C-Come on, please," she extended her hand, to no response, so Tsubomi grabbed Yuri's arm.

They guided her back, in silent discomfort. Tsubomi and Erika would exchanged pained glances from time to time, but Yuri was still silent. For long Tsubomi feared that Yuri was dead, and even now that they found her she was still not quite sure. And where's her fairy? That thought was terrifying to Tsubomi, and she meant to ask Yuri, but her dead eyes were far too sorrowful, and so she could not do it.

A horn blew in the distance, far behind them. Tsubomi did not look back, instead she kept moving, each step painful. Each breath made her tummy sting. It had only been one day, but even so she could not remember her last meal. Too much walking, too much sun, it all took its toll.

A horn blew again, closer now. Tsubomi walked as fast as she could, but Yuri kept a constant, slow pace, dragging behind.

"Please," Tsubomi begged her, those soulless eyes still unresponsive. "Please, Yuri, let's go."

A horn blew, and another, then another, so close. No, no, Tsubomi thought, not now. She knew that sound, but she refused to believe it. Then she looked back, and saw the banner of the Desert Apostles flying high, far away, but still close enough to see, and then she had to believeit.

Erika saw it as well. Then they ran. Tsubomi held Yuri's arm with all the strength she had, and made her run with them. Tsubomi's heart was pounding now, she could hear it, the pounding and the horns behind. Her whole body hurt, her head was in agony, but she had to keep going.

A horn blew in front of them, in the distance. Tsubomi tried to look, but saw only the sun, shining so bright. She looked below her, at the sand, and then closed her eyes. If I look behind I am scared, if I look at Yuri I am scared, no matter what happens, I feel afraid. I am so weak, she lamented.

"Tsubomi!" Erika yelled, hoarse. "Tsubomi, Tsubomi, look!"

Tsubomi opened her eyes, and looked at where Erika pointed. A line of horsemen approaching, in the hands of one, the banner of House Myoudouin, their sigil, the sun shining proudly through grey clouds. And riding in front of them all, Sunshine. Tsubomi could not believe it, but then she could not doubt it when Itsuki was in front of her.

"You girls are so hasty," she said, warmly, "and lucky too, that we were on our way to Sandstorm yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I did not find you; I had thought that you and Erika would have tried to be heroes," she smiled. "Well, you did it. Lady Moonlight, it would be an honor if you rode with me."

But Yuri did not answer. She just stared at Itsuki for a minute, and then she finally opened her mouth, and for an instant her eyes

"Dead. Dead. They're dead. He's dead. Dead."

And she fell with her face on the sand.

* * *

_I'm sorry I took a while to post this chapter! I was extremely busy with college the past week and when I did have some free time, I didn't have much motivation, oops. I should have more time now, though! As always, any comments are appreciated, and thank you for reading!_


	14. Melody III

Hibiki refused to go back to sleep. Why would she close her eyes if she could now know if she would ever open them again? This night seemed endless; she stared at the darkness outside, but it would never change. Hibiki had hopes of seeing Kanade in the far distance, running towards her, to save her, to keep her warm and safe, but there was nothing but the dark.

Inori took her to other quarters, ones that weren't damaged. She apologized deeply for what had happened, but what good were apologies? Hibiki remembered the blade, so close to her, to her throat or her face. Miki took longer to appear, and she could not understand how someone could have gotten in. She and Inori wondered how the assassin was able to reach Hibiki, or who it was. All their words meant little to Hibiki; she could not focus, she could not think, for all she knew now was fear. Soon Happy and March were there, and they bombarded Hibiki with questions that she was not ready to answer.

Leave me alone, she meant to say, but at the same time she didn't. She didn't want anyone right now, all she wanted was to be left alone so that she could be free to cower, to not have to listen to apologies or questions, not have to listen to anything but her own thoughts, not have to remember what happened. She wanted to remember Kanade now, and Hummy, and Ellen, sullen as she as, and all of Majorland. This was folly, Kanade was right.

Don't leave me alone. It was not safe to be alone, that she knew very well, so she wanted someone with her. A thousand thoughts raced through her head, but none of them agreed with the others.

Who attacked you?, they asked her, but how could Hibiki know? Does it matter whose hand holds the blade when it is about to slash your throat? And there were more questions, many more, and then Happy told everyone to leave the north wing of the question, as she would begin her investigations. Then everyone said many things that Hibiki did not listen. There was intense worry in Happy and March's faces, but she did not find that in Miki's or Ellen's. Miki clutched Hibiki's arm and helped her find her way, as she was still shaking in terror, while Ellen did not seem to have even noticed something was wrong.

Miki said something. Then March said something, Ellen spoke a single word, and Miki talked more, and more, and more. Hibiki thought she heard Miki laugh nervously. What's funny? Are you mocking me? Hibiki could not know, and she did not feel like talking, and so she did not ask. Did it even matter? Did anything matter right now? Hibiki put her hand on her chest. A fierce beat, a song filled with dread. Still her heart boomed, and fear kept pounding its drum.

A shadow moved, and Hibiki twitched back. Miki held her tighter, told her it was nothing, everything was fine now. Was it? It was easy for someone to tell Hibiki things were alright; they weren't the one helpless in front of their reaper, running in horror, praying for a miracle to save them, for they could not save themselves.

Miki and March showed Hibiki her new bedroom, besides Nao's. Hibiki learned that March was called Nao, but to her that did not seem important. The name of the person that failed to keep the Palace of Smiles safe did not matter at all. Then Hibiki remembered that she did not even know if Nao's duty was to keep the palace safe, and that did not matter as well. She blamed March, and she blamed Happy, and Miki, she blamed Inori for not saving her more quickly, she blamed Beauty for bringing her here, she blamed Ellen for no good reason. And she could not help but cry when she realized she blamed Kanade as well, for not coming with her, for not wanting to share their music like Hibiki wanted.

And finally she blamed herself for condemning all those people who had nothing to do with her misfortune. Hibiki locked herself in her quarters, while March told her she would station a few soldiers in front of the door. That did not reassure Hibiki at all. She did not lay down, as she already knew she would not be able to sleep.

The night whispered, cruel and cold, gusts of wind like blades against the window, talons raking it without mercy. How she wished Kanade would keep her warm with her embrace, with her arms around Hibiki in tight caress, an unspoken pledge to keep each other safe. But now Hibiki let go of that embrace, and for that she suffered. She opened the windows and kept staring, praying, hoping, crying. She put her hand to her heart, and felt nothing but a sting that would come and go, piercing her when she thought of Kanade.

The sun rose when Hibiki's eyes had gotten used to the dark. She heard a knock at her door, but refused to open it until she heard Ellen's voice. Even so she hesitated at first, and her legs trembled as she shambled towards the door. By then she did not feel the stinging. Though she was tired, the new day brought some color to Hibiki's face. She feared that the last night would never end, that someone would harm her again, that the dawn would never come, but it did. Hibiki unlocked the door, and saw Ellen, demure, staring at the floor, tugging at her shirt.

"How are you?" Ellen said. Hibiki had expected a greeting, though looking back, she did not really know why.

"I'm fine now. I had a good night of sleep, so I feel good."

Ellen did not seem convinced, though maybe that was just how she looked like when she was brooding.

"We should go eat," she said. Hibiki's lips curved slightly, very slightly, but it was clearly a smile. It made her happy to think that the first thing that Ellen did was look for her.

Beauty was not with them at the table; the Queen had many responsibilities, and it was a rare occasion when she could afford to sleep with her guests. Nao and Miyuki sat close to Hibiki, and she already expected what was to come: questions and questions and well-wishing, then more questions. Only then did Hibiki really notice how exhausted she was; many times she almost fell with her face on her food, and had to ask Happy to repeat her queries many times. She answered as well as she could, now that she could speak clearly.

"The north wing of the palace is off-limits now," Miyuki said as she carefully cut the meat in her plate until it was in many small pieces, and only then did she begin to eat. "I'll see if I can find any leads, anything the assassin might have left behind. There are no signs that he came from the windows, or at-"

"She. I'm quite sure it was a girl," Hibiki interrupted.

"No signs that she climbed the walls to reach the windows," Miyuki corrected herself, "as there are no marks on the cobblestone outside. And at night, Berry closes the large door that leads to the north wing, so I do not understand how someone could have gotten in. I'll have to examine the locks, see if the assassin picked them, forced her way in, or perhaps she found a path we are not aware of."

"This is unbelievable," Nao said, before she ate her sausage in two bites. "We take so many precautions, and I have scoured the castle for secret passages, convinced Her Majesty to hire tasters so that she could be safe. Ever since Cure Sparrow was strangled in her sleep half a century ago, nobody was ever harmed in the Palace of Smiles."

"I guess you have failed, then," Ellen said, cold.

"Yes, you are right," Nao said, ashamed. "There is absolutely no forgiveness for this, but I must apologize anyway. You came here a guest, Hibiki, and then had to face that. That could not have happened. I must tighten the security here even further."

"I don't blame you," Hibiki lied. March smiled sadly.

"All the same, this cannot go unpunished," Happy said. "If it was an outsider, we will find her. If the assassin is part of the Palace, well, then we will find her even faster. And then she will face justice."

"Justice?" Hibiki shuddered.

"Let her hang," a warm but firm voice came from behind her. Queen Beauty put a hand on Hibiki's shoulder. "Mephisto would not accept anything else. Hibiki, my sweet, an attack on you while you are our guest is an attack on Majorland. For you are the voice of Majorland, you and Rhythm and Muse, and this must be punished," Beauty knelt, leaving all around watching in bewilderment. "I ask your forgiveness as well. Please do not let this taint your view of the Precure Kingdom."

Beauty rose, and with no further words she set off to more of her duties. Nao and Miyuki did the same; March rode out to gather more soldiers to defend the Palace of Smiles, and Happy resumed her investigations. Hibiki was left with Ellen to finish eating; her plate was almost untouched, and she just left it there, with no desire to eat any more.

In the gardens, Inori played with the fairies, their room out of reach because of Happy's scrutiny. Some had quite large scowls on their faces, but soon they were smiling, hopping around the flowers, some swimming in the pond despite Inori's requests that they wouldn't. When did fairies ever listen to us?, Hibiki thought, and smiled when she remembered Hummy, silly Hummy, dearie Hummy. Her mood was lifted when she stepped into the gardens; the aroma of mint leaves was all around, joined with the sweet perfume of all the other flowers in bloom, and in a small island in the middle of the pond lay a great many blue roses, and amidst the yelling fairies one could hear birds chirping and fluttering wings.

Miki did not share any of that joy, though; she lay down in the grass, eyes closed, but her face showed pain. Her eyes opened slowly when Hibiki approached her, and she hurried to fake a smile.

"Hibiki, hello! I am so glad you are alright!" She got up, and meant to hug Hibiki, but before she wrapped her arms around her, she took a step back. "Ah, I'm sorry. So sorry. This was not how it should have gone at all."

"It is not your fault, Miki," Hibiki said, though the night before she blamed Miki.

"I should not be here, truth be told, I should be writing a letter to Majorland informing Muse of what happened, but it is so shameful to put it in words."

Hibiki took a good look at Miki; her smile was not even convincing this time, and her eyes were tired. Clearly she also did not sleep last night. That made Hibiki feel sorry for the girl, and she wondered how heavy a burden Miki's duties were. Her face seemed so sad, and Hibiki could not blame her anymore, nor feel contempt. Only pity.

"I'm fine, Miki. Things are alright. This will all be solved. Please don't worry."

Miki opened her mouth to say a word, but she just nodded. She thanked Hibiki, and as she approached the door that would take her from the lush gardens at the back of the castle to the dining hall, it was opened by a guard. He said something to Miki, and she pointed at Hibiki.

"My lady," he said to Hibiki, "you must please come with me."

"What's the matter?"

"There's this girl at the front gates, calling for you, looking like some beggar, in unkempt nightgown, barefoot, breathing loudly. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes looked like they were drenched not long ago. She said her name is Kanade. Does that mean anything to you?"

Hibiki could not explain how she did not die right there, such was the sudden burst of heat she felt in her heart. She ran towards the gates, without looking at anything on her way, bumping on all those in front of her, until she saw her.

But there wasn't a smile on Kanade's face. Only a disappointed frown. Blades of cold pierced Hibiki's heart once again.

* * *

_I have to say I am rather fond of how the first parted of this chapter ended up being, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Kanade's mission to reach Hibiki will be part of Kanade's next chapter, don't worry about that. Thank you for reading!_


	15. Peach III

Clang, clang, went the chains behind Love, a cruel, heavy sound. Were it her choice, she would not force the deserter from Labyrinth to wear them, but prisoners were to be chained.

"But she gave herself to us," Love told Tarte back at Silver Moon, who kept insisting on the chains, "she won't try to run away!"

"What a fool you can be sometimes, Peach!" Tarte said, eyes fixed on Eas, who sat in a chair in the distance. "Don't you think this is too convenient? Don't you fear that she'll just try to strangle you in your sleep?"

"I don't fear that," she said, but in truth she had not even considered it at all.

"Well, you should have," Tarte said, frowning. "You shouldn't be too quick to trust suspicious people."

Love sighed. See, this is one of the sicknesses of the Kingdom, she thought. You are all so unforgiving, so untrusting. She closed her eyes, and could vividly see the bloodbath at Dusk Harbor, even after the Bad End Kingdom had surrendered, even after Pierrot had been killed outside the city gates. Ever since that she refused to stay at the Palace of Smiles for long, so disgusted she was with what the Precure had done then.

The three travelled in silence; Love had tried to start conversation with Eas, but Tarte told her to say nothing, and keep a close eye on the prisoner.

A band of villagers passed by, going the opposite way, some running breathless, others almost falling to the ground. Some pulled carts with what little they had, while others lagged behind, trying to get their herd to keep up with them, in vain, and soon had to leave them behind so that they themselves wouldn't go astray. Love asked what was happening, but no one answered, and they just kept moving forward. A child meant to speak to her, but was grabbed by the collar by his mother, and carried on.

A sound came from Eas, muffled by her gag. Despite Tarte's protests, Love loosened the knots and then removed the rope that covered her mouth. Eas took a deep breath, relieved.

"These people must be fleeing from their destroyed villages," Eas said. "A wise choice. Wiser still if they don't come back in a long time; the Nakewameke blight what lands they conquer, covering them with a ferrous coat that cannot be easily extirpated."

"I-I'm afraid I don't follow..." Love said, but in truth she had never heard a couple of those words before.

"This would take a while to explain..." Eas pondered for a while. "For now, suffice to say that the Nakewameke are the creatures used by Labyrinth to conquer territory, by turning the landscape into something more akin to that of Labyrinth itself."

"Change the landscape? You mean like that grey stuff on the walls I found?" Love turned to Tarte, to see if he still remembered, and he nodded.

"Exactly. Labyrinth is composed mostly of that material. Its name is very technical, but the common folk call it Steelroot because even beneath the ground there is so much of it, always expanding. No crops can grow on it, no animals may live from it."

"That's awful..."

"Yes, it really is," Eas said, her voice dull. "But our sustenance is cultivated in enormous planthouses that don't need the sun, and then converted into this flavorless soup that keeps us alive. Each citizen receives an allotment everyday, and agents like me are given a bit more, so that we will have the energy to serve Lord Moebius."

Love thought of spending her whole life eating food that did not taste like anything at all, and she shuddered. No wonder Eas had turned traitor; what a cruel life she had endured, and what cruelties she had been forced to perform. Yet she did not seem like a cruel person, and that made Love happy.

With haste Love took Tarte's bad from his back, before he could say a thing. It was almost empty, as that damn fairy had quite the appetite, but she found a small tart with many strawberries on top.

"No!" Tarte cried out and stared at Love with blank, horrified eyes, as if his heart had turned to stone and broken into a million pieces, as if he suddenly turned dead inside, and life was no longer worth living. He was always like this when someone touched his food.

"You need to try this, Eas," Love said, and parted the tart in half. "Do you mind? I'm hungry too."

Eas' hands were still tied, but could hold on to her half. Slowly and anxiously she put it closer and closer to her mouth and touched it with the tip of her tongue. She then looked at the sweet with glowing eyes, and took a small bite. Love smiled, and ate her tart; by the time she was finished, Eas was still savoring her first morsel. Then they were on the move again, as the Palace of Smiles was still far away. Tarte kept whining, but it did not matter. Whenever Love looked back at Eas, she was still eating, slowly, and though she did not smile, her face was pink with delight.

By twilight, they had found an old chapel at a crossroads. Love recognized the sigils on the glass windows; the white eight-pointed star, mark of the old faith that existed before the Precure Kingdom existed, its name now lost, known only as the old faith. Love remembered the time she spent at the Sanct Keep during her youth, the castle where she and Buki played once. That seemed so long ago. Some people around the Kingdom still followed the old faith, but only in the lands of House Yamabuki was it still strong. The Sanct Keep was more a glorious cathedral than a castle, with small walls and few soldiers. There was no great hall with a seat where the castle's lord would receive guests, only a large altar. Often there would be ceremonies there. Love thought that was all very interesting, but her faith was still in the World's Heart, the force that had made her a Precure.

Love closed the doors of the chapel as they hid inside. The benches they found there weren't comfortable, but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold, laying on top of the grass. Eas admired every detail, every old dusty statue, all the sigils in the glass, all that was left in the marble altar; a candelabrum, an empty basin that once was filled with pure water to be used in rituals. She stood in front of a ripped banner, the eight-pointed star barely recognizable.

"It's pretty, isn't it, Eas?"

"Ah, that's not what I'm thinking," she said, turning to face Love. "I studied about this. This religion, I mean."

"Really?" Love was suddenly curious.

"Yes; we the agents of Labyrinth must study the culture and history of those above the earth-"

"Above the earth? Is Labyrinth underground?"

"Yes," she said, seeming surprised that Love did not know that. "The remnants of Labyrinth retreated to an underground keep after it became clear that the Precure victory was inevitable. With time, Labyrinth expanded deep within the earth."

That made Love shudder as well; what kind of nightmare was Labyrinth? But she did not ask any further questions, and let Eas answer the first question.

"During the war between the Precure and Labyrinth, ages ago, they counted on the support of a smaller kingdom of these lands; not all of the continent was under Labyrinth command, but they all paid tribute and were soon to be assimilated. This kingdom and its populace followed the old faith, but fought on the Precures' side against Labyrinth. Well, you know who was victorious. With time, though, that kingdom became part of the Precure lands as well."

"I have never heard of that..."

"Then perhaps your rulers did not want you to know that. I cannot know, for our knowledge of the affairs of land dwellers is limited."

That did not really surprise Love, even if she had no idea. It would not be the first time the Precure Kingdom hid information or lied. That surely meant there was something they wanted to hide; she made sure to remember to ask Miki about that when she reached the Palace of Smiles.

"Why did you abandon Labyrinth, Eas?"

Eas took a while to answer. She looked at her feet, pensive, and to Love it was evident that it was not an easy thing for her to talk.

"Nevermind," Love meant to say, but before she could, Eas began to speak.

"They failed. They failed to make me loyal as they wanted. When I was but a child, I was taken from my mother's arm, as every child was, and I was taken to a training facility to be repurposed," that word sounded very cruel to Love, "as every child was. They took my name away from me, the name my mother had chosen for me, and gave me a new one. Then they began to make me a faithful servant of Labyrinth. But they failed, somehow. Something went wrong when they taught me, or maybe something is wrong with me, but here I am, a traitor. "

"There's nothing wrong with you, Eas," Love said. "You chose to leave that cruel world behind, and that's not a failure. It is a very good thing, I'd say!"

Suddenly Love felt ashamed. She thought of the Precure Kingdom's sins, and if they weren't the same as Labyrinth's, or as obvious, they were as excessive. She admired Eas' courage to be able to leave her duty behind if that was what it took to do what's right.

"You said they took your name away..."

"Yes, when I became a servant of Labyrinth. I was six, old enough to be repurposed, remade to fit the desires of Lord Moebius. When I was born, my mother named me Setsuna. She did not know much about the surface, but she knew about some of the names that were used here, and she thought Setsuna was pretty. She lived to serve Lord Moebius, she had been raised for that, but the repurposing did not take away her curiosity for the world above the ground. I never met my father; he was sent to work at some mines a month before my birth, for only the mother is allowed to raise the child, before the kid becomes property of Labyrinth. So I only had my mother. She named me Setsuna," she repeated, taking in those words. "Yes, I was not born as Eas," she sounded as if she had just realized something.

"And you will not die as Eas," Love smiled at Eas as she unchained her, and then grabbed her hand tightly. "You are Setsuna."


	16. Blossom IV

When Tsubomi put her hand on Moonlight's reddened skin, it seemed like she was burning. Itsuki helped her carry the motionless Yuri and lay her down on a large bed. She had terrible sunburns, and when Tsubomi removed some of her clothes to try and make her body colder, she was covered in bruises; her feet were full of large blisters, her legs were black and blue and her cheeks had been scratched, the thin scars still red. She did not cry, nor did she react when Itsuki touched one of her wounds. In fact, she did not react to anything. She just stared with those empty eyes of her, eyes that Tsubomi so desperately wanted to just avoid, so that she could pretend that nothing was wrong, that they had found Moonlight and that was it.

Empty eyes stared at her. Tsubmoi could not avoid them anymore. It seemed like Cure Moonlight was calling for Tsubomi, but she could not understand what she wanted. Tsubomi then noticed that Moonlight gave that look to everyone who passed by. If it was already hard enough to imagine her pain, Tsubomi thought, how does Yuri feel?

She stood by Moonlight's side all day. She was not the only person to keep Yuri company, but as they came and went, Tsubomi was the only one who always remained there, watching Yuri, trying to understand what was going on behind those dead eyes of hers.

"Are you there, Moonlight?"

She knew Yuri was there, even when she stood silent, and she did not let that silence frustrate her; she kept talking, trying to connect with Yuri, and whenever she asked a question, she was praying that Yuri would finally answer, even a "yes" or a "no" would do, even a sigh, please, she begged and prayed.

Yuri was given a bed at one of the many quarters at the manor; hers was besides Itsuki's, on the first floor. The breeze was rather gentle today, warm but not scorching as it usually was. Tsubomi wondered if she felt that way because she had just returned from the Great Desert, but it was a great relief nonetheless.

The day they returned to Sandstorm, Tsubomi could hear Magnolia being scolded for not being with her and Erika; Itsuki was with her in her bedroom, and her words were stern, and Tsubomi wanted to defend the poor girl, who had done nothing wrong, but she could not bear to let Yuri alone. Dull as they were, those eyes seemed to judge and pierce.

It took half a week for Yuri to mutter a word again; walk, she said, and Tsubomi did not know what to do, but as Moonlight kept staring outside through the window, Tsubomi presumed she wanted to leave the house. Itsuki would never allow it, but Itsuki was always busy, signing papers or talking to some very important people, so how would she know?

Tsubomi held Yuri's hand as she struggled to get up; her legs lifted slowly and when her feet touched the floor, she hesitated, but in the end she rose. She was about a head taller than Tsubomi, but quite light all the same: she had not eaten for a good while, and even when she returned to Sandstorm she had not been very hungry.

Her steps were slow, and Tsubomi had to patiently guide her. When they were near the stairs, Yuri tripped and fell on Tsubomi; quite lucky, as a few inches to the side and she'd have plunged downstairs. When they were at the ground floor, Tsubomi sighed in relief, as she knew Itsuki wouldn't see them. Then she remembered the guards outside the manor, and how they certainly wouldn't let her leave with Yuri. She looked all around for another way out, and remembered a door in the kitchen. There was nobody there now, so they could go through it, unless someone was there-

"What are you doing?"

Someone was there. Short and scrawny, Magnolia could easily go unseen or find somewhere to hide in most places if she wanted, but when she wanted to be noticed, she was certainly good at it. She glared at Tsubomi, clicking fingers against the wooden table.

"M-Magnolia! U-Um, we're not doing anything wrong! We're just... ah..."

"Yuri cannot leave her bedroom. She is too weak and tired and must rest."

"B-But she's the one who wanted to leave! She's been there for so long!"

Magnolia did not seem to care.

"Well, let us ask her then," Magnolia approached Yuri. "Did you want to leave?" She said nothing. "I guess that's our answer. I'm sorry, Tsubomi, but I can't let you disobey Sunshine's orders."

"I-I know you're angry at us," Tsubomi shook her head and kept shaking, "and I'm sorry! But-"

"That was foolish of you! Of course it annoys me to be lectured because of you, but do you think that's the real issue here?" Magnolia sat down again. "You could have gotten yourselves killed and accomplished nothing; you could have asked me for help, and I could have accompanied you, or you could have waited for Sunshine and not have to cook on the desert for so long!"

"B-But we had to save Yuri!"

"You two had to be saved in the end, didn't you? You brought no supplies with you. You just thought you could run off into the desert, find Yuri, and that would be it. You are Precures, but you are not invincible, and you are certainly not above anyone else. Keep that in mind the next time you try to do something stupid and reckless."

Tsubomi could not say anything; she was right, we were stupid, and it was so shameful. She cried a little, and when she realized how pathetic she must have looked, she cried a lot. She felt Yuri's hand on hers, squeezing it tighter. Tsubomi took a deep breath, and lifted her head again, her eyes still red.

"I'm so sorry. Please don't punish Yuri for my stupidity."

"I'm afraid you will have to talk to Itsuki and explain yourself. Yuri cannot leave."

"B-But she might forbid me from being with Yuri," the thought of leaving Moonlight alone with some servant whose name she did not even know was not a pleasant one.

"I'm sorry. Orders are orders, and the Precure are not exempt from the rules."

Yuri felt heavy now. Everything felt heavy, in fact. Tsubomi thought she was so strong when she was Erika, but look at her now! Crumbling so easily. I'm still just a little bud, she thought, a foolish bud who'll blossom into some ugly, good-for-nothing flower.

Itsuki's office was right in front of her bedroom; usually she'd wake up, get dressed and just walk straight to work. It was a cramped room, not actually small but full of bookshelves, tables with books on top of them and many books scattered around the floor. Itsuki asked Tsubomi to sit on a chair, but there were already some books there, so she just stood. Magnolia told Itsuki what had happened, and Sunshine just seemed disappointed.

"Well, that would be the second time you disobey my orders. Did you think that you could break rules without being noticed, without consequences? And, more importantly, do you think I gave these orders because I just enjoy ordering people around?" She paused, as if to give time for Tsubomi to reflect. "You should not have left Sandstorm to search for Moonlight because your safety cannot be ensured in the Great Desert. You found the forces of the Desert Apostles, didn't you? You were lucky to live; who knows what they would have done to you if I wasn't there to rescue the three of you."

"I hear tales that General Kumojacky is not kind to enemies that are captured," Magnolia said. "And I shudder to think what would have happened if you had found _her_," Yuri's eyes widened for a second, but when Tsubomi took a good look at her, her face was dead again. She turned back to Itsuki.

"And Yuri cannot leave the manor until she's healthy again. Don't even pretend that she's fine. Moonlight, I mean no disrespect, but we cannot deny your condition. Once you can walk and talk with no restrictions again, I'll be happy to give you total freedom again. Until then-"

"Please don't forbid me from seeing Yuri," Tsubomi cried out.

"Taking care of Yuri is not your duty, Tsubomi," Itsuki said, but to Tsubomi it felt like it was. No, not duty; she wanted to see Yuri improve, not because she had to, but because it made her happy. "From this day on, you cannot enter Yuri's quarters. This is for her safety."

"N-No..." A hoarse voice spoke out, so quiet that she had to repeat it. "No..." Yuri's eyes did not move, but her voice was sad. "Tsubomi. Please. It must be Tsubomi."

"A-Are you sure of that, Moonlight?"

Yuri nodded. Tsubomi felt a certain relief, and then some embarrassment when she thought of the great Moonlight wanting her.

"Very well, then," Itsuki smiled at Tsubomi. "I trust that you will take care of Yuri then, Tsubomi. You still cannot leave the manor, though."

They were dismissed, then, and Tsubomi took Yuri to her quarters. She sat on her bed, and stood there for a long time. Tsubomi did not feel like rushing her to talk, though; her few words at Itsuki's office seemed to have taken much effort already.

"Do you like these flowers?" Tsubomi asked as she put some small flowers on a vase, tiny and dull, but the best that could be found in this region. She did not expect an answer from Yuri, but Tsubomi thought it would be very sad if nobody talked to her. Tsubomi liked to think that she was helping Yuri when she spoke.

In the afternoon, Yuri laid down and fell asleep. She seemed so peaceful, Tsubomi thought. She closed the windows and let her sleep without being disturbed.

"How's Moonlight?" Erika was outside the manor, fanning herself. She had been outside all day, doing Itsuki's bidding.

"Better. Still silent, but she can walk."

"I'm glad. And I'm jealous too!" Erika laughed. "You're spending too much time with her! When am I getting some love too?"

Tsubomi gave her a small, nervous smile. They sat on a bench by the front of the manor, and Tsubomi rested her head on Erika's shoulder. She felt so strong when she was with Erika, but as soon as they parted ways, Tsubomi felt like a trampled flower, her roots frail or dead.

At night, they had dinner together. For the first time, Yuri was eating with them. Before, she would have her food taken to her in bed, but tonight she just showed up there, in the dining room, though she did not say anything. That put Tsubomi's heart at ease, though, if only a little.

But that calm was not to last, of course; she heard horns in the night, and the city gates opening. Half a hundred mounted soldiers came in, some riding horses, most riding camels. Tsubomi wanted to join Itsuki and Erika and see what news they brought, but Yuri grabbed her arm as she got up, and her eyes were pleading for her to stay; how strange, Tsubomi thought, how those dead eyes could say so much.

"What do you think it is, Yuri?" Moonlight just shrugged; Tsubomi smiled all the same. That was progress, not much, but it was enough.

When Itsuki and Erika returned, though, they were not smiling. Erika seemed lost, while Itsuki had a worried determination as she entered the room.

"Yuri. Tsubomi. Get up, go to the stables and find horses, camels, whatever you want, just find something. We're leaving to the Sunflower Aegis now."

Tsubomi nodded, confused. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but by then Itsuki was already talking.

"The Desert Apostles are coming. We cannot let Yuri stay here; this city is not safe against the might of their armies."

"C-Can't I stay and-"

"You will not fight! Obey this order, at least," Tsubomi nodded again. She looked at Erika, who now just looked crushed.

"Come on, Erika," she tried to cheer her friend up. "I think you said you always wanted to ride a camel! Come on, please, it will be alright, we'll be alright."

"No, Tsubomi," Erika said. "I'm staying. Someone must stay. We can't just let Sandstorm fall, not without a fight, not without buying time."

"E-Erika... T-Then, i-is this..."

"A goodbye?" Erika smiled sadly. "I guess. Only for now. When this is done, you'll see me arriving at the Sunflower Aegis, smiling. I promise you that. But until then, yes. Goodbye, Tsubomi."

Tsubomi could not bear to say the words. She embraced Erika, arms like vines that refused to let go. And then she wilted as they parted ways, Sandstorm disappearing in the night, unseen in the dark.

* * *

_Another Tsubomi chapter! Her plot's moving quite quickly now that the introduction arc is over. I apologize for the slight delay, and I hope I can have the next chapter finished faster this time, now that I have some free time. Thank you for reading, I appreciate it greatly!_


	17. Rhythm III

Muse wasn't kidding when she spoke of the Songship's speed; small isles close to the coast of Majorland passed by almost unseen, Kanade's head hurt and she missed a few notes as her hands slipped or crashed against the keys.

Fast as she was, though, the Songship was still not good enough, Kanade thought. Take me to Hibiki now, she begged, but nothing happened.

"I need to take a break," Falsetto said as he laid his violin aside. Kanade could not blame him, even though the Songship got noticeably slower; he had been playing for a long time now, almost two hours, and still no sign of land.

Kanade did not tire, though. She felt the exhaustion take over her, yes, but she did not stop playing, even when she screwed up, when she was off-key. She played that song that she so often had played with Hibiki once.

They hadn't played it together in so long, though, ever since they had began to argue every week, then every day, then all the time they were together. How did that happen, Kanade wondered, and in some corner of her heart she knew that she was to blame, as much as Hibiki, but she refused to listen to that. It was Hibiki's fault, for being so stubborn, for abandoning her, for wanting to share their song with other people. That song is ours, and ours alone, Kanade thought as she began to cry.

After a couple hours of playing, Kanade's fingers began to hurt. A few more hours later, she did not even feel them anymore. She did not feel anything in the end. She just kept saying to herself that she would save Hibiki, even though she did not know what was wrong, even if Hibiki did not want to be saved. What does Hibiki know, anyway? Kanade knows better. She always did.

"Kanade, please," Hummy poked at her arm, "you must rest. I can see it in your eyes, you're tired."

"No," Kanade did not even look at Hummy. "No rest. You can rest if you want, all of you, but I won't. I cannot rest while Hibiki is not by my side."

"But you're suffering!" Hummy pleaded. "I can tell, Kanade, I'm not stupid!"

"You are!" Kanade yelled at her, and it took all of her composure to keep playing. "You are a stupid fairy! You don't understand, do you, Hummy?" Kanade was hitting the keys with great force, and dissonance took over the Songship. "Do you know what it's like to lose someone close to you, to know they are far away, to not be able to do anything, to know that it's your faul-"

"I do!" Kanade had never heard Hummy scream like that, but it was not a scream of anger, but one of agony. "Siren left me as well..."

Kanade froze; her fingers lay motionless on the air, and she stared at them. They bled from hitting the keys too hard. Kanade slowly turned to Hummy, dreading to look at the crying fairy.

"Hummy... I-I'm..."

"Sorry, I know. I know you are, and I won't hold this against you" Hummy said, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry I'm stupid; that is true, I'm not smart like you, but please, Kanade, don't tell me I don't understand you, because I do, more than you know!"

Kanade felt ashamed, stupid and disgusting, but mostly stupid. She extended her hand to Hummy, but in the end she just stood there, looking at her in silent shame. The Songship had halted, and for a far too long minute Kanade could hear only the waves crashing against the ship.

"Well," Hummy said, "we have to keep going."

And so Hummy went back to a small dais on the opposite side of the Songship, and she began to sing the Melody of Happiness. Kanade accompanied her and played the best she could, and so the Songship darted away again.

Soon, far away, Kanade saw Calmtide approaching, growing bigger by the second. The musicians finished their performance when they were close to the city, and the Songship slowed down until it stopped at the docks. By then the sun was rising, the clouds lighting up like fire.

Bassdrum lazily got out of the ship, complaining about how his back hurt; Baritone gave him a light punch on the back, and, to no surprise at all, it did not help Bassdrum at all. Falsetto only laughed at them as they fought, and Kanade walked past them, annoyed at how they could dare to be so playful when Hibiki was still unsafe. They don't understand, she thought until she remembered Hummy, and then she just felt ashamed and stupid again.

The docks were filled with life as crates full of goods were unloaded and as fishermen made port with their tiny ships crammed full. Officers made sure that everything that was brought into Calmtide was properly counted and taxed. When one of them approached the Songship and saw that it carried no goods, he only scratched his head. Then he looked at Kanade, tired, in her dirtied nightwear, barefoot, fingers bleeding, smelling of the seawater that had hit her in the face as the Songship crossed the waters like a bolt. The man almost laughed as he looked at her sorry state.

"What is your business here?" He asked her. "Do you really carry no goods?"

"No, nothing."

"I feel like I recognize that ship," he took a long stare at it. "Would you happen to be from Majorland?"

"We are."

"Hm," the man nodded. "You don't look so good, missy. Care to explain that?"

"I left Majorland in a hurry."

"I see," he did not seem convinced. "But surely you knew when your ship was leaving port, so you should have had time to prepare. And quite the small crew you've got there, too..."

"This ship does not need many sailors," Kanade knew it was unwise to lie, so she did not, but the truth certainly did not sound very good either. The man called one of the other officials, and they exchanged whispers.

"That's the Songship, isn't it?" Kanade only nodded. "Royal ship of Majorland, property of the royal family," he stressed the word. "You don't look like royalty."

"We did not steal this ship, if that's what it looks like!" Falsetto cried out.

"Quiet, I'm talking to the girl. Explain yourself."

"I'm a Precure from Majorland, and I have come to the Precure Kingdom in an urgent mission. I have been allowed to use the Songship."

After Kanade was done talking, the man showed her the palm of his hand, and stood there.

"So?" He said.

"What's the matter?"

"Surely you have something that can prove that. A paper, anything. I cannot simply take your word for it, you know, my job is to make sure everything goes right."

"I'm afraid I don't have anything. I really did leave in a hurry, and borrowing the Songship wasn't a very tidy affair, you know."

"Right. So you said you're a Precure," Kanade felt a shiver. "Got any proof of that?"

"N-No," she said. She hadn't taken anything with her, no medals, nothing that could identify her. She just looked like a beggar, in truth.

"I can confirm that she's a Precure," Hummy said. "I'm her fairy, too!"

"Many people are friends with fairies, though," the man remained unconvinced. "That proves nothing. May I ask you to transform?"

"I can only transform when I'm with my partner, Melody," Kanade knew how stupid she was sounding, how unbelievable her tale was. "But you must have heard of us! Melody and Rhythm, Precures of Majorland! I'm Rhythm!"

"Can't say I haven't heard the names, but from what I've heard, Rhythm's hair is bright yellow, almost like it's shining. Yours? Not so much."

"Can you come with me?" The other man pretended to ask, but it was an order.

They were guided by the two men and by a pair of guards. The citizens on their way avoided them; surely it looked very suspicious to see a girl who looked like her being escorted by guards. A criminal, she heard whispers around her, and she only sighed. After a long walk, they were at a large keep, its walls made of stone, its gate guarded by two tall men holding taller spears. They waited for a few minutes at the entrance until they began walking again. At the end of their way was an office where a pale, tired but regal-looking man was sat on the opposite end of a long table.

"Please, sit down," he said, coughing, and Kanade and her companions obeyed. "My name is Kazuki, and I am responsible for making sure that only trustworthy people enter Calmtide, and that they all have a reason to come here. We cannot simply allow anyone to come here for no reason and to consume our resources and claim a bed that could be used by someone who has duties here. This is an ever-growing city of commerce, after all, not some place where you can just come and not explain your reasons. You said you are a Precure?"

"I am," Kanade said meekly, not expecting him to even hear her. "I have come to the Precure Kingdom from Majorland because my partner, Melody, is in danger."

"Really?" He seemed curious. "How do you know?"

"I-I dreamt about it," and, predicting his disbelief, she added, "I know it sounds stupid but we have a very strong bond. You won't believe me, I know-"

"That's not unbelievable, really. Why are you and Melody so far apart, though, if she's your partner?"

Kanade explained what had happened, how Hibiki had come to the Precure Kingdom to share her music with the court at the Palace of Smiles, and Kazuki took a few moments to think.

"I see. I'm afraid, though, that you have told me nothing that proves your identity; you have taken the Songship, and might be impersonating a Precure, and those are grave crimes against both Majorland and the Precure Kingdom. I must ask you, can you think of anything that might prove that you are indeed a Cure and that my suspicions are incorrect?"

"I..." Kanade thought. There was so much about Hibiki that only she knew, places that only she had explored, but that would not serve as proof, not by a long shot. "Hibiki told me that once she got to Calmtide, she would be received by a Cure from the Palace of Smiles," Kanade tried to remember which one it was. "Cure Berry!" Kazuki seemed surprised when he heard that.

"Indeed, my sister had told me that she would only be here at Calmtide for a day or two, to guide Melody to the Palace of Smiles..."

"Your sister? Are you Berry's brother?"

"Yes," he said, with a hint of pride. "You know her, right? From back when the Bad End Kingdom attacked Majorland and we fought together..."

Kanade hated to remember those days, but she could not forget. And she remembered Berry, if only vaguely. She was one the good ones, at least.

"Well, that solves all matters!" He rose and shook Kanade's hand. "I am so very sorry for holding you up while you have such urgent business! It is a long way from here to the Palace of Smiles, so if you'd like to wait an hour or so, we can have a large carriage ready for you," he called one of his men and gave him some orders. "Oh, and for the Heart's sake, get this girl some clothes. A Precure should not have to look like this," but Kanade politely declined, not wanting to burden anyone any more.

Kanade waited by herself by the city gates at the north, while the Musketeers walked around the marketplace for a while. Hummy had told Kanade she had found a small park where they could sing to passers if they so desired, but Kanade still felt too ashamed to be with Hummy, so she just sat in a corner and waited, and she thought. So close to Hibiki, and that made her happy, but she felt sad again when she thought of her dream of Hibiki being in danger, when she thought of how wrong everything had become. In her misery she wallowed until her carriage was setting off towards the Palace.

"Hey, Kanade," Hummy said, "don't you think this carriage has a music of its own? Can you hear this beat?"

"No," Kanade said. "I'm sorry, Hummy. I cannot hear anything at all."

Hummy just looked at her, disappointed, and hummed the Melody of Happiness to herself. Falsetto kept commenting on how fancy the carriage was, and how pretty. Kanade looked outside, hoping to see the Palace, but they were still far. This day seemed to go on forever, but it was still not even midday, and the day was far from over. Faster, Kanade begged, take me to Hibiki. If she could, she would just run towards her, but her legs hurt too much for that now.

She rested her eyes for a minute, and she saw only Hibiki. Kanade could think of little more, and she knew that it was not healthy, that there must be something wrong with her head, but for now she did not worry if she might be wrong with her obsession, with her desire to be with Hibiki.

And when she looked outside again, she saw the Palace, oh so close now, and her eyes brightened; in a mad rush, she opened the carriage's door and ran, faster than she had ever run before, and now the pain didn't matter. She called for Hibiki, and repeated her name until a guard of the palace told her he'd call Hibiki.

And Kanade smiled; Hibiki is still alive, and if she's being summoned to see me, then she must be safe, and healthy, and happy, and beautiful and lovely. At last, Kanade thought, and she just wanted to jump on Hibiki's arms as soon as she saw her, feel Hibiki's warmth while Kanade shared her own.

But when she saw Hibiki, her smile died as everything that was wrong came crashing down; you left me for this, you abandoned me, and now you dare to simply smile at me, to grin like there's nothing wrong, like things are fine, like I had no reason to worry, to come here, to be with you. Do you now want me to be with you? That thought made Kanade sad, and she frowned, and though she knew she was being foolish, though she knew she should think for a second before she did something stupid again, she hoped, for a second, that Hibiki would be miserable and feel her hate.

And Hibiki looked so pained, her eyes welling up, crying for mercy. Kanade just twisted the blade.

* * *

_Next chapter is Eas. Thank you for reading, and I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!_


	18. Eas III

Why did she tell the truth? What an idiot I am, Eas thought, for telling Love everything. Though Eas had no reason to be honest with Love, to tell her of her past in Labyrinth, she felt compelled to. She never had the opportunity to be honest before, she never had someone who seemed to care about what she had to say. But Love cared.

Love cared. As she tried to sleep on a dusty corner of the old chapel, Eas could not stop thinking about that. Love cared. Did anyone care before? She could not remember. Then she reprimanded herself, for daring to think fondly of her enemy. That is the Precure's ruse, their false kindness so that they can pierce through your back when you are distracted. Don't believe in their love, for they have no love for their enemies. Eas remembered the warm words of Lord Moebius, those words that made her feel safe.

"You were born to serve," she remembered Lord Moebius' speech to his servants, as they lined up in the streets to hear his voice through the soundboxes scattered around. "Each of you has a purpose, a place in our beautiful society. Your lives are not your own, for they belong to everyone, and above all, they belong to me and my designs. Through me you shall be more useful than you would ever be if you were free."

Eas dreamt of Labyrinth. Thousands upon thousands of citizens in the street listening to their master, to wise Lord Moebius. What a sight, an endless line of people kneeling, declaring in unison their loyalty to Lord Moebius.

Little lanterns were the only light in the depths of Labyrinth, footsteps the only sound, grey the only color. If Eas looked up, she could not even see the top of the cavern where these remnants of Labyrinth lay. Ages before, when Moebius retreated underground, it was a small cave, but the workers of Labyrinth dug and dug and dug until their hands bled, and then they dug some more. Soon that small cave became a world all of itself, and the pawns never stopped digging; Labyrinth kept growing, and it needed more space and resources.

That was her own father's work as well, to mine, and from what her mother had told Eas, he did it very well, so well that when the time to increase the population came, he was allowed to claim a wife; he choose Eas' mother, who was a miner by his side for years and years, whose true name she did not know, for she was merely Citizen 25000-II. Her mother always liked that number; it was very neat, very round. Eas' own number was a very ugly one, but that was never used in her house while she was a child. Now she remembered; Setsuna, her mother called her, and she remembered that sweet voice whispering in her ear as she tried to sleep, that gentle hand that rocked her cradle as she cried, awakened by a nightmare. Eas dreamt of that voice, that hand, reaching out to her as she was lost in the dark depths of Labyrinth, but they could not touch her. There was only the silence and the cold and the crushing darkness.

Then a bright light shone on her, blinding her, and she recalled the academy where she was repurposed. Setsuna became a thing of the past; she was reborn as Eas, and now her life was Moebius', Labyrinth's, and her mother was but a memory. From then on, Eas felt cold.

Everything for Lord Moebius, said the writing on great iron doors of the enormous training facility. Lines of people entered, all of them moving in perfect unison. One could not afford to not fit in; those who dared to defy the order, those who dared to show will were repurposed by force, by Klein's hand. Eas knew a boy who did not accept the new name given to him; it was only a number, for he was not an agent like Eas, but only a cook. I am not a number, he yelled one day as the entirety of the Second District ate at the canteen. He stood up, and did not finish his meal. He was the same age as Eas, and though at the Repurposing Center he was not trained in combat as she was, Eas always saw him during discipline classes. That day he just walked out, the fool.

The next day he did not come to class.

Eas did see him the next day, after he had been given to Klein. The Talons got him; that was not the real title of the agents tasked with finding dissenters, but it was a fitting one considering their brutality; the boy's face was black and blue and his hand was bandaged, clearly missing a finger. And how he obeyed now; Klein had purged the will out of his body, every feeling that wasn't complete devotion and loyalty. If he was told to die, then die he would. Everything for Lord Moebius.

Then the dream shattered and fell apart like broken glass, revealing only nothingness. Eas walked in this void, never looking back, never turning sideways. There was nothing there, but she kept marching, for a voice in her head told her to march. March, girl, march until your feet hurt. Then she heard a hundred voices, all at once. Eat faster. Keep marching. Obey. Learn how to handle a sword. March faster. Close your eyes, you don't need to see where you're going, you only need to listen to me. Go to bed now. You can talk, but your opinions don't matter. Keep your opinions to yourself. Don't have any opinions. Don't think. Whip that dissenter until he cries. Kill that dissenter. There is no right or wrong; there is only Lord Moebius' will. Never question the will. Obey, girl, obey. You were born to obey.

And she obeyed. She was the most dedicated student at the Center, always perfect, always obedient, never uttering a single word of protest. They told Eas to forget everything but her duty, and she did. Why was she only remembering everything now? Oh, dream, do you try to make me question it all? But you won't.

She remembered all the dead people hanging in front of the District Center, where all citizens passed by every day. The day had just begun, and the lanterns all shone, and there the corpses were plain to see, a warning to all who dared think. The Talons caught them that night as they planned to assassinate Lady Northa, who had just arrived at the Second District to choose the best citizens at the academy. Someone told, and they were found, whipped and hanged. Eas would know, as she whipped one of them herself. There was no mercy for rebels, nor should there be. How could they strike against Labyrinth, against Lord Moebius, to whom they owed everything? We all live because he allows it, and for that we should be grateful.

Eas caught Northa's eyes immediately; as Northa glanced at each potential new agent, she only scoffed, but when she saw Eas, she smiled. Never before had Eas felt such pride. Chosen by Moebius' greatest commander to serve in a mission of enormous importance! Oh, she would have smiled right there if she were allowed to. But when she was taken to her new private quarters, she grinned. Private quarters! And large ones, too, large enough to fit a bed and a small desk.

So why was it so cold? The colors melted away, and the world froze. All the machines in Labyrinth ceased working, their clockwork unmoving. Eas kept telling herself it was only a dream, one that took far too long to end, but only a dream nonetheless. The people stood still as well, everything was still and colorless other than the great tower in the Central district that loomed over everything. The orb at its peak was still shining, the eye that watched over everything. Eas knew Moebius was there. In her frozen dream she tried to reach out for it, running, but it was always out of her reach, ever so distant.

"Lord Moebius! Lord Moebius! Am I a good servant?" She cried out, to no answer. "Lord Moebius! I am doing my best! I will not disappoint you! I will not falter, I will not fall! Watch me! Watch me, I promise I will do well, see me, tell me I'm doing a good job!" By now she was crying, pleading that Lord Moebius would notice her. But he said nothing, and in a second the colors washed over Eas' dream, and she looked at all the people that surrounded her, all those numbers.

Then she heard her number called out by the soundboxes. No, I'm Eas, I'm not a number. You gave me that name, Lord Moebius! You gave me that name when you found a purpose for me! Not a number. A name. A voice whispered in her mind, shrill, pained. Setsuna. Setsuna.

"...you have been selected to work with W-143 and S-765 along with Lady Northa to fulfill my grand design."

No congratulations, no recognizement, not even of her name. Was she not good enough? Then she would do better. She would not sleep if that was what it took, she would become stronger, she would do everything to make Lord Moebius know her name. Setsuna. Setsuna.

No. Eas. Eas, she said as she opened her eyes and saw the mossy ceiling of the chapel.

"What is it, Setsuna?" Love spoke from the other side of the chapel.

"Nothing. A dream, that's all."

"A bad dream?"

"You could say so," but in truth she did not even know. Love seemed truly concerned. "It is nothing to worry over."

"Ah, but I still worry! We slept for a long time, yet you still seem tired."

"I didn't actually sleep much," Eas said. Again with the truth. She knew she should lie, she should say what Love wanted to hear, but still she spoke the truth. "It took me a few hours to fall asleep. I was thinking. Those terrible thoughts that keep you from sleeping."

"I know how it feels," Love said. Eas had been told that whenever a surface dweller said they knew how something felt, they just wanted to talk about themselves, and when they listened to you, they only pretended to care. Nobody cares. That's why nobody should say what they feel. "I guess things might be rough for you, coming from that place," don't call it that place, Eas thought, it's my home. "But if you ever need my help," Peach came closer and held Eas' hands, "talk to me! I might not be able to help you, heck, I most likely won't even have good advice, but you shouldn't keep things to yourself. It just eats away at your happiness. You don't have to trust me right now, but I promise you, Setsuna, I will be here for you."

"I-I trust you," Eas did not know if she was lying now. "But do not be worried, they are just small issues that I have failed to solve on my own. In time, everything will work out just fine."

"I'm glad, then," Love hugged her. How strange it felt, and how warm. Eas wanted to tell Love to let go of her, but she also wanted to ask her to hold her tighter.

Fool, fool, fool. She set off with Love through green grasslands and farmlands. What a pretty color, Eas thought, and she had never seen it. For the first time her world wasn't colored grey, for the first time there was not just one path ahead. And it terrified her. She saw lakes of shining blue, and she tried to pretend it was all still grey, that it was all still cold, but she could not deny all the colors she saw, the warmth she felt, all the paths laid down in front of her.

Forgive me, Lord Moebius. I am so weak.


	19. Melody IV

We have built a wall between us, Hibiki thought bitterly, a wall of thorns and blades and cruel words and blood. Our own blood. We have bled this wall and now we must suffer for it.

Though she and Kanade shared a bed, the night was cold and dark. As they sat next to each other to break their fast they were silent; Kanade full of anger, Hibiki full of sadness. Though surely Kanade was sad as well, Hibiki thought, then why are we not comforting each other as we always did? I tried talking to you, Kanade, but you were so full of rage. What have I done, what was my so great crime to make you despise me?

But Kanade did not have to say it, for Hibiki knew. Kanade was always stubborn, always thought she was right, even when it was not a matter of being right or wrong. For so long they had not disagreed that now they did not know what to do. It all came crashing down, glass raining down on their heads.

That morning Hibiki decided that if Kanade would be cold, then she would ice. There was much to do in the Palace of Smiles, much to help her forget Kanade.

She found Miyuki by the large table of the royal council with a pile of letters and papers and blank parchment. Though Hibiki knew it to be impolite to intrude, she was a Precure as well, and so she had a right to know what was happening at the Precure Kingdom.

"Busy with work?" Hibiki asked the obvious.

"If this were all the work I had I'd be glad!" Miyuki laughed as she pressed a stamp into hot wax. "I still have an investigation to do, as you know very well, don't think I have forgotten. And then I will meet with March once more to fix any flaws in the castle's security. As of now, though, I only have some letters to read and others more to write back."

"Any news of interest?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm writing a letter to Cure Marigold in the east, some letters to the Sweets Kingdom to congratulate the betrothal of its prince and to promise our court's attendance. Rather uninteresting business, that, but they have been our allies for centuries and so we cannot refuse, and, of course," she sighed, "the letter to Majorland telling of what has happened here. I would have sent it before, but, well, they need to taken by ship so there's no real rush," Miyuki did not mention all the small stamped letters she had, all of them with a small mark on their bottom right, but she could not help but notice Hibiki staring at them. "Oh, I'm afraid these are confidential. I'm not simply Her Majesty's letter opener; I am responsible for the Kingdom's external affairs and matters related to its security and information gathering."

"You're a spy, you mean," Hibiki was not fooled by those pretty words.

"No! I don't spy, I leave that to people who are far better than me at that! I just listen to their reports and give them orders. But I don't spy, I find that very immoral."

"Very well," Hibiki said, unconvinced, and as she turned back, Miyuki rose and called out for her with some letters in hand.

"I apologize for asking our guests for favors, but could you please deliver these to Her Majesty? She'll be at her quarters, most likely reading. She really loves her fairy tales, you know. Not as much as I do, I think, but she reads more than me, at least!"

Hibiki nodded, and took the letters from Miyuki's. Her hand was so warm, much like her embarrassed smile. She was always so busy, yet she almost always had a smile on her face and kind eyes; very fitting of Cure Happy, Hibiki thought.

The palace's security had been tightened, and wherever Hibiki went there was a guard to be seen. Servants cleaned the great hall, scrubbing the floor and changing the tablecloth to a beautiful and ornate blue one with a sprinkle of white stars, the sigil of House Aoki. There would be a feast that night, but then again, there were always feasts at the Palace of Smiles. There were always guests and there was always laughter and joy. Not for Hibiki, though, not now.

As a Precure, she could move around the Palace freely without being questioned, and no one batted an eye at her climbing the steps to Beauty's quarters. Hibiki gently knocked on the closed door, and Beauty told her to come inside.

"Hello, Hibiki my dear," Beauty said, focused on the large tome resting on the enormous jeweled lectern in the middle of the room, between the door and the queen's great bed.

"Miyuki has asked me to deliver these letters to you- I mean, Your Majesty," Beauty chuckled and called for Hibiki to come closer.

"Look," Beauty pointed at the book she was reading as she took the letters from Hibiki's hand and set them aside on top of her own bed. "I am sure you have heard of this book, Hibiki."

"Only in passing," Hibiki admitted. Beauty held her hand and brought her closer so that they could both see the pages. "Muse told me that when she became a Precure she was allowed a glance at the Precure Book, but she did not tell me what she saw, as she said that each Precure must see it with her own eyes."

"Oh, that Muse, always so dramatic," Beauty giggle. Even when laughing she was still so regal, Hibiki thought, always covering her mouth as she let out the sweetest, gentlest laughter. "She could have told you if she wanted, but of course, it is always more interesting to see for yourself," there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Hibiki turned her eyes to the floor when she saw who opened those doors. She only looked at Kanade for a second, but that was enough to see that she was in pain.

"Hello, Kanade. I hear you wanted to read the Precure Book. Come, darling, come read it with Hibiki."

Hibiki hoped that Kanade would refuse, but she just nodded and soon she was at her side. They were so close, and yet there was this wall that kept them afar. How Hibiki wished she could break it, but she knew that Kanade would need to break the wall with her, but Kanade was far too stubborn to do it; the last night Kanade was still mad at her, burning with rage, saying that Hibiki had abandoned her.

"I never wanted you to come here, Hibiki," Kanade was yelling. "There is nothing for you here! Nothing for us!"

"No, Kanade," Hibiki clenched her fists so she wouldn't yell. "I wanted to be here, because unlike you, I'm not selfish, I want people to hear my music, to be happy!"

"You dare call me selfish?" Hibiki knew she had said something stupid, but now it was too late, and Kanade was crying. "I worked so hard for us! It is because of me that we have achieved such great harmony! I was the one who spent so many nights practicing so that I could be as good as you! You were always better, Hibiki, you know it, but it never bothered me, because I knew that as long as I could keep up with you and find new songs for us to practice, our songs would be beautiful."

"They are beautiful, Kanade."

"I know. And you would throw it all away, for glory in these lands? You vain, shallow idiot!"

"Not glory!" Now Kanade was the one who crossed a line. "I want to make people happy! I can make people happy, and that's such a rare gift, isn't it? So why should I not use it?"

"Because..." Kanade was struggling with the words. "Because it belongs to me, Hibiki. We are bonded, Hibiki."

"So must we be together all the time? Must we agree all the time?"

"Yes!" Kanade grabbed Hibiki's shoulders, and looked at her, her face so twisted in her sadness. "When we became Precures together, we knew we were special. We knew our power depended on our harmony, and so we worked on our harmony."

"You're wrong, Kanade. If you truly think that we must agree on everything and have the same thoughts in order to be harmonic, then I'm afraid we are even less harmonious than we thought."

Kanade tightened her grip on Hibiki. For a second she just stared at Hibiki, with a look that showed that she knew she was wrong, that she was unreasonable, that she could not take back what she had said, no matter how much she wanted, and that she would have to live with her words now. For a second her tears stopped, and she just looked, and she was so beautiful. Kanade's face approached Hibiki's, and their lips touched briefly, and Hibiki felt a brief moment of warmth.

"I hate you, Hibiki," Kanade whispered on her ear, and then she went to bed.

Hibiki looked around, and she saw the book in front of her once more. Beauty was talking, but she was so lost in thought that she had no idea what the queen was saying.

"A pity, isn't it?" She asked, and both Hibiki and Kanade looked at her, confused.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty" Kanade said. "I did not sleep last night, and I think I just daydreamed for a little while. I am so sorry."

"You don't need to call me something as formal as 'Your Majesty', Kanade. We are all Precures, so just call me Reika. Besides, that's much prettier than 'Your Majesty', don't you agree?"

Hibiki nodded without paying much attention. Was Kanade worried as well? Of course she was, she was just too proud to admit she was in the wrong. Hibiki looked at the Precure Book; so many words, with gorgeously detailed illustrations at the end of each page.

"Well, I was talking about the war against the Bad End Kingdom," Reika said. "The history of the Precure Kingdom is written in these pages by the current ruler. I am almost finished with my chapter about the war, and since you were both pivotal players at the conflict, I wondered if you would like to add something."

"Pivotal?" Kanade said. "That's an overstatement, isn't it? Me and Melody just helped protect Majorland, we did not actually fight in the Bad End Kingdom's lands."

Hibiki knew Kanade had more to say than that; the conflict had been a bloody business and the Bad End Kingdom had been vanquished by treachery; King Pierrot was killed at his own palace, unarmed, unprepared. Kanade hated the Precure Kingdom ever since she saw how brutal its army had been, and how the Bad End Kingdom's inhabitants were not allowed to surrender. Then again, they were all hideous monsters, weren't they? The world was best without them, it was said, and some believed that, but Hibiki doubted it.

"Alright, then," Reika said. "It depressed me greatly to know that my reign shall be remembered for that terrible war," she flipped some pages, all of them blank. "But there is still much to be written, and I hope that I may be known for more than just that. So I have a new project to bring the Precure Kingdom and Majorland closer. Kanade, I have been told that you wish to leave this place as soon as possible, is that correct?"

"Y-Yes," she said, embarrassed. "Not that this isn't a nice place, not at all, but I want to go home."

Reika held Kanade's hands. Something stang Hibiki; something so small as someone else holding Kanade's hands made her feel the pain of jealousy. Now she could not deny that she was afraid of losing Kanade, but Hibiki tried to shrug it off.

"Please, Kanade. Stay here for a little longer, you and Hibiki, and Hummy and Ellen and those men you brought with you. We need you here."

"I-I'm not sure if-" Hibiki said, but then she heard Kanade raise her voice.

"Alright. We will stay here, if you so desire, Reika. Mind telling us what is this project of yours that needs us?"

"Well, that will take long to explain," she chuckled. "And right now you needn't concern yourselves with these finer details."

Reika was avoiding the subject, but Hibiki thought it best not to question her, and she just nodded, and left the queen's quarters by Kanade's side. Reika just turned back to look at her book.

Hibiki and Kanade went their separate ways; Kanade was spending much of her time with Hummy now, while Hibiki just wandered around the castle, occasionally playing a few songs on the music room; there weren't crowds there, but there was always someone to listen. There were always some instruments on a small stage, and seats in front of it. Whenever Hibiki went there to play and relax, try to keep the sad thoughts away, Miki was there. In just a few days it had become routine for Miki to request a song from Hibiki and then listen to it with her eyes closed. When the song was done, Miki always showed a beautiful smile to Hibiki. No clapping, no cheering, but a smile was the greatest reward Hibiki could want. In time, Hibiki felt as if she was starting to get used to life at the Palace of Smiles.

"Hello, Miki," Hibiki said to the girl as she entered the music room. "What song shall I play today?"

"Oh, anything!" Miki sounded distraught. Hibiki thought of a pretty song to cheer her up, and when she was done, she sat by Miki's side.

"Is there something wrong, Miki?"

"No, not really," she said. "I have worked too much today, I think. I thought that staying at the Palace would mean tranquility for a while, but Her Majesty always has lots of work for me."

"And you always do your work so well, Miki," Hibiki said. That was not just politeness; a week before Miki had been asked to train a nobleman's dog. Not really work fitting of a Precure, but Miki was always doing these small jobs. Hibiki did not understand that at all.

"Oh, I know, my work is always perfect," Miki said, proud, but she did not sound smug or rude at all. She just sounded like she recognized her own excellence. "But it is such pointless work. And I just wish I could do something important, useful! Not just menial work because of Her Majesty's spite."

"Spite? What do you mean?"

"Oh, so you do not know," Miki said, her voice loaded with bitterness. "House Aono, House Aoki. Similar names, don't you think? And you wouldn't be wrong, because House Aoki is just a branch of my own House. You see, a century ago the family was divided because of some petty power struggle, and half of them left Azure Hall, the palace we call home since we began recording history."

"And they formed House Aoki?"

"Yes, and though they did not have any lands at first, they chose to build their damned castles atop their stupid frozen lakes and rivers. That's not land, they said, nobody can take us away from here."

"So you and Reika are rivals, or something like that? Your families, at least."

"Oh," Miki laughed. "It's not a real rivalry when she's queen and I'm a glorified servant. You see, the Precure Kingdom chooses its queens well in advance, so that no House may have hegemony and always rule. Every ten years all the Cures join to elect who will be queen in a century or so. When the last queen had passed away, the eldest of House Akimoto should rule, but she was still a young girl, and though she was a descendant of Cure Mint, she was only three years old, unfit to rule. So she was skipped, and it was time for House Aono to rule. For me to be queen, like I always knew I would be. I studied for it, I prepared for it; I would be a wise, beautiful queen."

"What did Beauty do, then?"

"Well, there's the thing. She just sat on the throne, and said that House Aoki had the rights to the Precure Kingdom after they branched off. What was left of House Aono was full of pretenders who were not truly part of the family. And though Reika never really treats me poorly, what else can I think when I am asked to train dogs or watch over a door?"

Miki seemed resigned; though it clearly bothered her, it did not bring her to tears, it did not make her raise her voice. Miki never tried to do anything against Reika, and she never protested after the throne was denied from her. She just kept on working.

"Oh, I would have been perfect," Miki said as she left the music room, for she had much more work to do.

Everyone was so unhappy, Hibiki thought. So this is what the Precure do? Sign letters and write books and play songs and wish for something better? Hibiki remembered when she became a Precure alongside Kanade; they were told that it was a Precure's duty to do good, to fight for love, for justice. What happened to that, she wondered? When did this utopia fell apart? Hibiki shuddered and left music room without looking back. She was in no mood for songs.

* * *

_Funny how Hibiki thinks about how the Precures don't really do anything anymore while there's a war going on at the north. In fact, that's what the next chapters are about, perhaps to even out this chapter, which was a pretty slow one. Thank you for reading, and I hope you are looking forward to the following chapters!_


	20. Marine III

The wind was scorching as it hit Erika in the face, yet she felt a shiver every time she thought of the Desert Apostles coming closer and closer to Sandstorm by the hour. Tsubomi, Yuri and Itsuki were probably at the Sunflower Aegis by now, and only Magnolia stayed behind. Even so Erika was alone, as her time was spent entirely on preparing the city's defenses for the battle to come.

Erika felt a strange emptiness ever since Tsubomi was gone, but she did not have much time to dwell on it; she was moving from the north gate to the west walls to the town center, over and over again, listening to the pleas of soldiers, commanders and leaders of Sandstorm. The terms of the alliance between the Precure Kingdom and Sandstorm included helping the city in case of an attack, and Itsuki promised that she would try to bring reinforcements as soon as she could, but until then, Erika was in charge of the defense.

"They are not too far from the walls," Magnolia said during a war council. "They could attempt to attack immediately, but then they'd surely be defeated, as even without preparation, the defense of Sandstorm won't fall to a disorganized offensive."

"We'll have time to prepare, then," Erika said. "But of course, this will also give them time to organize their attack, to prepare their siege weapons and, perhaps to surround Sandstorm."

"What do you know of military strategy, young girl?" Said a tall bearded man, Master Rosset, a merchant lord of Sandstorm. Though he often defied Erika, his resources were very valuable and he offered all he had to help protect the city.

"Not much, truth be told," Erika almost blushed, but didn't. Blushing would not earn her the respect of soldiers. "But I know how to fight, and I'm smart. Smart enough to leave matters I'm not good at in the hands of better people, at least," she looked at the experienced, aged commanders, who nodded at her. Some were residents of Sandstorm, others came from other cities to offer assistance, and some were mercenaries, sellswords who rose and now led their own companies and were hired by Rosset.

"I'll trust your wits, then," Rosset said. "Sandstorm is my city; I could run away like so many lords have done, those scared fools, but I did not. I was born here, raised here, wed here, and Sandstorm is where my children were born and raised as well. I intend to see them married as well, and so, I'll stay. If Sandstorm falls, I'll fall with it."

Though Erika knew those men saw her only as an inexperienced, spoiled girl who was not yet proven in battle, she admired them and their loyalty. She swore to herself she would not let Sandstorm fall.

And if Sandstorm falls, I'll fall with it, and I'll never see Tsubomi again.

She tried not to think of that, and usually she was too busy to be sad, but still the sadness would sneak up on her when she was distracted, like a knife slipping between her bones. And Erika held back the tears, because she could not cry now, much as she wanted.

You are stronger than that, she kept telling herself as she kept her head high. She would see Tsubomi again, and she would be the heroine of Sandstorm. That thought made her smile. Cure Marine, savior of Sandstorm. This was her shot at glory, she thought, all she had to do was reach out and grab it. And she would, she promised. She thought of her sister Momoka, precious Momoka, beautiful, admired and glorious Momoka. Watch this, sweet sister. I can be amazing just like you, or even more, I am sure.

Erika woke with the sun, and by then she was getting used to the heat. It did not hurt her nearly as much as it hurt once, nor did she tire as quickly. She did not fear the sun; when she looked at it now, she just saw a great burning rose, her quiet companion during the days as she walked all over Sandstorm.

She went to this old empty storehouse at the south of Sandstorm, where it was closer to an oasis a few miles outside the city. Water was being taken by the hundreds of buckets and placed in heavy ceramic pots half as big as a person. Erika commanded the workers to gather wood and ready some fire pits there, laying the pots on top of them. The wood burned and the water began to boil. Erika watched it bubble in such a beautiful and hypnotic manner, almost a dance in the waters.

"What do we do with them?" A soldier approached Erika.

"We'll toss them against the invaders. They'll break when they reach ground and scatter everyone around."

"Wouldn't hot pitch be better, then?"

"No, no, that would be too messy," Erika said. She knew how messy war was, but she was still a Precure; boiling water was already painful enough, and to use something more terrible would be simply cruel.

She put a hand on one of the pots. It was scalding already, and it hurt to touch. But when she did so, she felt the water on her fingers even though there was iron separating them. She closed her eyes and focused, and she felt the water envelop her, but it did not burn her. She imagined the water rising above its container, high up in the air, many meters tall, reaching the ceiling of the storehouse. When she looked again, there it was, just as she imagined. Surprised, she lost her focus and the water spilled back into the pot, splashing some drops on the floor around.

Erika instructed the workers to move the wood atop the walls so that the water would be boiled during the siege. She ordered for more pots and water to be brought, and when there was a lack of pots, Erika and some soldiers went around Sandstorm asking citizens for any pans, jars and kettles they could spare. If the city had more time to prepare, there would be no need, but time was a scarce commodity now.

All around she heard the sound of metal on metal as more mail and armaments were forged in a hurry. Sandstorm's arsenal was stocked full of weapons and armor and shields, but even more was needed. Master blacksmiths instructed their apprentices, and though at first they offered Erika two hundred of the finest swords, spears and axes they could make, she said she would rather prefer five hundred of them, even if not so fine. They grumbled, as they wanted to show their greatest work, and Erika could not blame them, as she wanted to do the same as well, but she was firm in her request.

Erika looked at the enormous southern gate, still open but not for long. Some people were leaving Sandstorm, but most of those who chose to abandon the city had already done so. She looked at that gate, and she saw Tsubomi leaving again. Her eyes were playing tricks on her, she thought as she scratched her eyes and saw nothing when she looked again. Don't leave, Erika wished she had said, but she knew it was for the best. It was just not the best for Erika.

No, no, you have more important matters now. She was now in front of Sandstorm's great prison, a tall tower of brown brick walls. The prisoners were not kept in the tower itself, though, but in its dark passages under the ground in small cells. The tower smelled of stew and onions as the guards were eating together, but the basement smelled of cold stone, sweat and metal. The prison was more a cave than a building, dimly lit by the few torches there. A smelly old guard guided her through the cramped, dark passages, and pointed at a cramped cell where half a dozen prisoners were constantly fighting for some room to breathe.

"There ya go," the guard said as he handed a torch to Erika. "Desert Apostles our soldiers brought here some months ago. Don't get too close, missy."

Erika nodded. She tried to make out the prisoners' faces in the little light the torch burned. They were all men, missing teeth and with empty, defeated eyes. On their chins, ragged, dirty beards.

"Walk away, Precure scum," a man said, his breath so foul Erika almost had to take a step back. "Your kind disgusts me."

"You might want to think your words carefully if you don't want to stay here until you are all old men," Erika tried to sound as intimidating as she could. "Or perhaps you might not even grow old here, if the headsman has any say."

"He can have my head," he spat on Erika. "You won't hear a word from me."

"But you might from me," she heard a softer voice from afar, in a corner of the cell. He shoved the other prisoners aside until he faced Erika. He looked older than the other man, but his beard was shorter and his stench was not as terrible.

"Tell me about the Apostles' army," Erika said. "What do you know of it?"

"Ah, so Sandstorm is in danger? Well, I don't know how many men are there, I ain't good with numbers, you see, and I don't know how they plan on attacking, because I ain't no commander, and even if I were, well, I'm stuck here, heh. But I know about the generals of the Apostles, that I do."

"Tell me, then."

"Well, there's them two brave commanders, who like to lead their soldiers by their side. Kumojacky and Sasorina are their names, and I'm sure you heard about good old Kumojacky."

"Yes. I hear he likes to tie people to his camels and make them run off in opposite directions."

"That's a filthy lie," the man said, "Kumojacky ain't no monster, he's an honorable man, that he is. Well, he and Sasorina fight with their armies, the soldiers respect them lots. You'll find Kumojacky at the front, I'm sure, but Sasorina really prefers to rush in while everyone's confused by the battle, find someone important, and then stab them with that knife of hers."

"Oh, an assassin? That's a very risky thing for a general to do."

"Yes, she's very brave," the man seemed proud as he spoke. "And her knife, the tip is green, you know, some people say it's scorpion poison, others says it's just paint, it's just an ordinary knife, and others speak that you don't really wanna know what it is, no you don't, they say she got that knife when she travelled to the lands beyond the sun, as far north as north goes, and then some more."

Do they truly believe that about their generals, or are they mocking me?

"What else should I know?"

"Ha, you should know to be careful, that's what you should know. I have nothing against you Precure, young lady, but you should know better than to try and stop us, you know. Well, there's them two other generals, Cobraja and Sabaku, though that one's more of our leader, he always stays in the back. But Cobraja is a fancy man, yes, he can wear lots of clothes and look like he ain't one of ours, but he is."

"So he's a spy? Are you implying he might be in this city?"

"Might be, might not, how can I know? Might be you're Cobraja, he has long blue hair just like you do. Are you?" He laughed.

"Kumojacky will likely lead, then, and Sasorina will find an important target to assassinate, Sabaku gives the orders far from the battle and Cobraja might be in Sandstorm. Is that it?"

"Well..." The man was suddenly scared.

"Tell her," the rude prisoner said. "She'll piss her pants if you do."

"What is it?"

"Well, there's... there's _her,_" the man said, shaking as he spoke. "The winged lady, the scourge of the sands, is what we call her, that and many things, but mostly we just call her Dark Precure. Oh, you don't want to cross paths with her. You don't want to look at her. You don't want her to know you're there, no you don't, no, you don't want to anger her."

Erika sighed. An evil Precure? That was impossible. Magnolia had mentioned a very strong agent of the Desert Apostles who flew high above the desert looking for prey, but in no way could she be a Precure. That was just superstition, just something they told the people to make them scared.

Still, there was good information there, and as Erika left the prison, she asked the warden to find a less cramped cell for the man who helped her.

Erika looked at the sky; it was still morning, even though she had been up for a while now. It was not yet time for lunch, and she already felt exhausted, like she had done so much. Erika looked at the north walls, so high, taller than all but the greatest towers at Sandstorm. Its walls were heavy red bricks, each one the size of Erika's hand. She climbed the stairs at one of the fortified towers to reach the walls. She did so day after day, and this time the Desert Apostles were close, so close. Erika did not have even a week to prepare, and now they were coming. A smaller force seemed to detach itself from the main army and was approaching the western walls.

There were a dozen towers along the wall, each one with catapults on top. Dozens of archers could fire from each tower, in addition to the ones on the walls. On the walls there were hundreds of barrels lined up.

"I hope you are good with these," Erika said to the soldiers, pointing at the catapults and ballistae pointing at the enemy. There were not as many as she wanted, but the city would have to make do with them.

"We are always ready," a soldier said, "but we don't have as many stones as we'd like, and we can't launch ourselves against the Desert Apostles."

"Later this afternoon some soldiers will bring pots full of scalding water, you can spill them on the enemies or perhaps use them as projectiles. Now let me see those barrels."

Erika opened the lid of one of them, and like she had ordered a day before, they were all filled to the top with sand. You'd need two men to lift them, and three men to toss them from the walls. If someone dared approach the gates with a battering ram, they would be met with those heavy barrels, and they served very well as projectiles for the catapults, or they could just be tossed at enemies by the walls.

A horn went off in the distance. The Desert Apostles would sound a horn every hour, and Erika had difficulty sleeping this week. Three nights before, in truth, she had not even managed to sleep, and instead she got up and wandered the streets of Sandstorm. How empty they were, how silent it was other than the horn that constantly reminded her that Sandstorm was soon to be attacked, as if she could possibly forget. Erika wondered if Tsubomi and Momoka were asleep then.

In those moments, in the dead of night, Erika was reminded of how lonely she was. She was always alone; every friend that she could have ever had when she was a child was drawn to Momoka, amazing Momoka, while Erika, ever the disappointment, had to live with the scraps. Even when she became a Precure her triumph was diminished; Momoka had just struck a deal with Majorland to bring a Fairy Drop to Operetta. What an amazing daughter you are, Momoka, how brilliant you are, such a wonderful friend, and oh, there's you too, Erika, you did just fine. Erika thought back on that all the time, bitterly. She loved her sister dearly, but sometimes she wished she would disappear, so that she could feel loved and important and special.

She did feel those things once, though, she remembered. When she was with Tsubomi, she felt whole, she felt as if it was the first time someone truly cared to learn how she was, and love her for it. She told Tsubomi of what she felt towards her family, a feeling that she kept locked in her heart all her life, but still she let Tsubomi inside her heart, just as Tsubomi had let Erika inside her own. And when she thought about it, it felt to Erika as if here in the north, so far from the Precure Kingdom, what she did mattered, and she did not have to live under a shadow. She felt so alive.

She got down from the walls and tried to remember what else she was supposed to do, not because there wasn't much, but because she had so many tasks that her mind got clouded. Erika walked all the way to the manor, where Magnolia had some servants carry crates and old dusty furniture from the basement.

"There's plenty of space here," Magnolia said. "I felt it would be better if I got rid of all this stuff and allowed some of the citizens of Sandstorm to hide here until the battle is over. Then they will be safe even if we fail. Well, at least a little bit safe."

"We will not fail. We cannot fail."

"Oh, Erika," Magnolia's voice was almost tearful. "You have looked beyond the walls more than I have, and seen the Desert Apostles. Theirs is no mere army; it is a wave that will wash over anything in its path."

"The waves tried to swallow Calmtide once," Erika said, thinking back of that day, when she was but a child. "I thought the world was ending, I had never seen the waters of Calmtide rage, and I never saw them like that ever since. I looked through the windows at my house, and saw water, so much water, everywhere, and I cried myself to sleep as my sister held my hand. The next day, I opened my eyes, and the streets were dirty, and some merchants lost some of their wares, but life went on. I do not fear the waves, Magnolia. We will endure."

But Erika was not so sure. Sandstorm would hold on, yes, but for how long? Would Itsuki come soon enough to lift the siege, or would she be too late? She heard a horn. And another, and more, a hundred of them, and she rushed to the walls, only to see the Desert Apostles marching, much closer than they were just one hour before. She went back to the north gate, to make sure that her trap was prepared; a great cauldron full of boiling water mixed with malt, tied by many ropes to the gate so that when it opened, the cauldron would lower and spill its contents on any invaders. It was a last measure, as if things went right, the gate would never open during the battle.

The pots full of boiling water were now being taken to the walls, and readied to be thrown against the enemy army. Even now Erika had much work to do, to make sure everything was neatly prepared, as she could not afford for any mistakes to be made now. The horns kept sounding, deafening, hurting Erika's ears.

She was atop a wall tower, by the side of a catapult, and the reality of it all came crashing down. Tens of thousands against a couple thousand defenders, many of whom were men taken from their families to fight, given simple weapons, some of them carrying small hammers or pickaxes, all of them shaking. Erika was shaking as well. She could die now, she thought. She could die and then Sandstorm would fall, and her family would only hear of it months later, never knowing how hard she had fought to live. It was not too late for her to run, yet as much as she wanted to live, the thought did not cross her head. She would not run. She turned to the soldiers of Sandstorm. They looked at her anxiously. Did they expect a speech? She was not one of them, though, and anything she could say would mean little to them. A commander of the forces of Sandstorm stepped up to her, and stood by her side, and raised his voice so that they could all listen to him.

"This is your city," his voice was so loud, so powerful. Erika looked at him, and she could tell he was young, though he had a look of experience and shrewdness on his face. His blue hair seemed very heavy even though it was tied. "The Precure Kingdom will help us, but only by your hand can your city be saved, the invaders driven back. They are many, but they are not fighting to protect something they love, so they will not fight as fiercely as you. So fight!"

They cheered. Erika had seen him at the war councils, but he never raised his voice, instead only nodding and very rarely opposing her plans, his voice a whisper. She could never remember his name, though, but then again she had so much in her mind that it was hard to remember most things.

"Thank you," Erika said to him. "Lord... ah, I can't remember. What was it again?"

"I'm no lord," he chuckled. "Just a soldier who rose high. I'm Nisser. The other commanders are in council with Rosset now, and one of them ran away, but I decided my time is better spent here."

They looked at the advancing Desert Apostles. They carried ladders and rams, and they had some catapults too. When she looked up in the sky she saw a dark figure there, only a dot, but when she looked again it was gone. The men in front of the charge were screaming, but Erika could not quite understand what they said. She just went down to the walls and called all the archers.

"Notch. Draw. Loose."

Very tidy command, she thought, but by the time she told the archers to draw, they were already loosening, and they kept shooting even before she ordered them to. Did they not respect her leadership, or were they simply not disciplined, desperate men firing without taking aim, hoping that their arrows would find someone. And in that sea of people it was not that hard for them to do just that.

Arrows were loosened against the defenders at the wall as well, most of them hitting the brick walls or passing over the heads of the archers. Some of them did manage to hit a soldier at the wall; a soldier close to a tower was pierced in the chest by an arrow, and he stumbled backwards, falling down, while another archer was hit in his arm and forced to run away. Erika looked at her right, closer to the gate, where Nisser screamed his orders in his commanding voice. The catapults were firing rocks and barrels full of sand, and though they did not hit many enemies, they caused a great deal of havoc and sent the Apostles running.

"The water, now!" Erika yelled as the enemies were at the walls, even as they were met with arrows and rocks and barrels full of sand. The soldiers took the pots out of the fire and spilled their contents on the enemies underneath them. Erika heard shrieking, and kept telling herself that it was war, that it could not be helped.

Even so it was not enough; for each pot of scalding water that was used against the enemy, a ladder was set on the wall and scaled, and when one was taken down, two more were set in its place. But the walls held on, even though it seemed like there was no shortage of invaders. The sun had set when the first enemy reached the wall and was greeted by a sword. The wind was cold and the defenders were tired; their only moments of rest were during those calmer minutes of the siege, when no invaders tried to do anything, but they were very rare.

At night, a thousand little lights shone beyond the walls, and together they were blinding. Now there was no way to see exactly where the arrows came from and where they were aimed at, so it was a matter of luck not to get skewered. A large boulder hit a section of the wall in the night, sending debris flying all over, but only the top part of the wall had fallen, and so the invaders could not yet enter Sandstorm.

"Erika!" Nisser screamed at her. "I'll need more archers here!" As he spoke, a man to his side was hit by an arrow while he tossed a pot of hot sand, falling down with it. "Not only archers, but spearmen as well, I fear they might reach us soon."

Erika nodded, and told a soldier close to her to take charge while she was gone. She hurried down the stairs and ran to the barracks where some soldiers still rested. On the floor, a boy cried as a medic tried to remove the arrow from his shoulder.

"Can anyone here still fight?" Erika asked. Everyone she saw was too young or too old or wounded.

"Aye, we are well rested" some men said, spears in their hands. "Where are we needed?"

She pointed them to the north wall, and they went without question. That impressed her; perhaps there were in fact some disciplined soldiers in Sandstorm. She looked at the soldiers who stood by the gate, ready to defend the city if there was a breach. They sang and knocked their spears on the floor, and though they had been up all day long, their spirits still blazed. Erika turned her eyes to the west walls, and decided to check on them.

They were not as well manned and prepared as the north walls, but they held the town's largest catapult, and though it was of lesser importance, it could not afford to fall. The commander in charge was a plump woman broad of face who held a large axe.

"It's been calmer here, really," she said, "though some soldiers managed to get to the walls. We drove them back, not without cost, as some of Sandstorm's finest archers were killed, as was the leader of a mercenary company hired by the city. Though we are having some serious trouble," she spoke with worry in her voice. "That... thing, the one they call Dark Precure, but that our soldiers call only the winged death. All day long she has been high above us, evading all our archers' attempts to kill her. From time to time she would swoop down, so fast that we could hardly see it, grab someone and toss them down the walls."

"How many were lost?"

"Oh, perhaps a dozen, but they were all captains or great honorable soldiers, and so it's hard to command the entire west wall with no help, my voice is not high enough. And I fear she'll be coming for me tomorrow. A-and I don't know what to do if she does."

Erika could not help with that. She could stay here and fight, but she was needed at the north walls as well. In truth, she was needed everywhere.

She watched the enormous catapult launch a dozen barrels and boulders all at once. Erika tried to see what they hit, but it was too dark; there were no torches there, no light. She looked up in the sky, and if the winged death was there, she could not see it. A dark Precure. If such a thing existed, surely she would have heard of it before, but she hadn't, and so she could only wonder what exactly it was.

She saw a tiny light in the midst of the darkness, then another, and another, and they were coming closer; Erika screamed at the soldiers at the wall to take cover, and she crouched. Flaming arrows were loosened against them, but they did not hit anything, not yet. They are aiming at the catapults, Erika thought. She looked around, and saw that they were running out of barrels and pots and sand and boulders, but the Desert Apostles certainly weren't running out of soldiers. Oh, we needed more time, she lamented.

Erika left the west walls in command of the woman, wishing her success. As she climbed down, she saw something ignite, a tiny blaze at first, but then it grew. The great catapult had been hit and now it just burned. Erika looked at the fires, and felt her whole body grow cold.

Sandstorm was not as deserted as she expected; some people gathered in the streets, and soldiers were always walking around. She screamed at the people to find a place to hide, but Erika wondered if there were still any more places to hide.

Time was a strange thing now; too fast, yet too slow. The sun was soon to rise when Erika was approaching the north gates again, it had not been even a day of siege yet, but already Erika felt like it had been so long, too long. Itsuki would not arrive soon enough, she was sure of that by now.

A great many soldiers were standing in front of the gate, in front of Erika's trap, ready to strike any enemies that entered Sandstorm, but many were just under the trap even though she had ordered them not to stay underneath the cauldron.

"What are you doing there?" She yelled at them. "Get out and hold the positions I told you to hold!"

"Nisser told us to stay here, young Precure," they spoke with defiance.

"Well, Nisser is not in charge," Erika was baffled that he'd make such a command. Then she remembered his blue hair and what the prisoner had told her about Cobraja. Oh, I'm so stupid. "Where is he? Quick, where is he?"

"Oh," a soldier scratched his chin. "He just entered the gatehouse while he told us to stay here," he said, and by then Erika knew what was going to happen.

"Get out of there! Get out, get out," she screamed, but only some of them seemed to hear, and a few of them even laughed.

Then the gates opened slowly and loudly, so ominously, and they stood silent. Before they could think to run, the trap fell on them; endless gallons of boiling water were dropped on the soldiers by the gate. The worst part was their screaming, their crying as their skin got red and began to peel off. Erika could not bear to listen to it, but soon she did not have to; the Desert Apostles were entering Sandstorm.

"Don't let them through!" She screamed to all the spearmen around, who pointed their lances at the gate, containing the invaders for a while. Erika looked up at the walls, and she saw the archers shooting at the Apostles at the gate, but as they did so, more of them were climbing the ladders.

Erika heard a war cry, and she saw a red haired man rushing through his soldiers, and with his greatsword he drove back the defenders. Erika knew she could not stay there; in a minute the streets would be flooded with Desert Apostles.

"Come with me," she ordered the soldiers closest to her. They were shaking, and it surprised Erika that they could still hold their weapons, so much they trembled. Erika kicked down a door, and they took shelter in a nearby house.

The rooms were all empty, with only plain furniture in them. Silverware was scattered on the floor, and Erika presumed the owner of the house left in a hurry. They hid in the second floor of the house, and Erika looked at the city from above; there were so many of the Desert Apostles, they were surrounded now. In the skies, that little dark dot was always watching. Erika thought of Magnolia in the manor and all the people who were hiding there. She could reach the roof of the neighboring house, she thought. The wall towers still held on, and arrows rained down on anyone who was close.

"This is not lost yet," she clung to hope. "They're inside, but there are still many of us, and the walls won't fall easily. If we attack from inside the city's houses, they won't find us, and if they do, they'll have to chase us," she pointed at the window, "and we can run from there. We must hold on. Sunshine will come."

Sunshine will come, she said, but when she looked outside, the sun was already burning in the sky, and still no sign of Itsuki. Even so, the soldiers nodded, determined. A couple of them followed Erika, while the others stayed there, finding a good spot by the window to loose.

Erika leaped from the window, reaching the roof of another house. She was met with many arrows, but they did not reach her, and she kept running, leaping from house to house, window to window and roof to roof. There weren't as many enemy soldiers close to the city center, but Erika could still not stop moving for a moment. She breathed heavily, so tired, and kept running.

The next time she jumped, she was at a familiar place, Yuri's quarters at the manor. She heard another noise there, and quietly took a step to the corridor, to the staircase. Erika saw a woman holding a dagger with a green tip, and she thought she heard Magnolia yell. Erika looked to her side, and she saw a large vase full of flowers. Tsubomi really liked those, she remembered.

Sorry, Tsubomi, she thought as she tossed the vase against the woman with all her might. She fell down and before she could get up, Erika made a fist, jumped on her and knocked her unconscious. Then Magnolia fell to the floor, holding her right arm. There was a small cut there, pale red, but the wound was deep enough that Magnolia bled a little.

"That's Sasorina," Magnolia said. "I take it this means they have gotten in."

"Yes. One of them infiltrated the army and betrayed us by opening the gates to the Apostles."

"What now? Can we still fight?"

"I can," Erika said, and she took a good look at the wound. "You should go hide and not strain yourself."

"I can fight. I will fight, Erika."

"No, Magnolia," Erika looked at Sasorina's dagger again, and thought of the poison. "That's an order. Stay here, stay safe."

Magnolia kept protesting, but Erika insisted once again. She grabbed Sasorina's dagger and inspected it. It smelled like common steel and blood, so if there was some sort of poison on it, it was a subtle kind.

"There's nobody on the second floor," one of the soldiers who accompanied Erika said. "But we only have one bow and half a dozen arrows."

"Give me the bow and the arrows," Erika said, "and go hide in the basements. You have fought well enough, but to keep fighting would be foolish now."

They nodded, gave her what she asked, and went down the stairs. Erika looked at the unconscious woman on the floor. Sabaku led from afar, but the other generals would take part in the battle. One out of four, Erika said out loud. The storeroom was mostly empty, but she still found some rope, and tied Sasorina down, then took her to the basement. Magnolia could use her as leverage if the Desert Apostles found all the people hiding there and tried to harm them.

Erika went back to the second floor, to the quarters where Magnolia slept. She heard someone call from behind her.

"Erika," it was Rosset's voice. "What are you doing? It's dangerous."

"I'm fighting to the end, like you wanted."

"I didn't want you to die! It's hopeless out there."

"Don't worry about me. I'm a Precure, I'll find hope if I need to. Stay safe, Rosset. You're not a fighter, you're a merchant, the city will need you after this."

She didn't look behind to see if he had obeyed, and instead she looked outside again. She did not see the dark figure flying high, but she looked to the west gate and a large chunk of it had collapsed. Two breaches in the defense, how fortunate. She doubted she would be able to find hope now. She kept looking, and she saw Desert Apostles, so many of them, and they all seemed to march to the very center of the city, to the great council building. And then she saw the blue haired man, Nisser, or rather, Cobraja, his hair now flowing down his back like waves, but he was far from this house; if she jumped off this window, she would be seen before she could reach him. And with so many soldiers surrounding him, there was no way she'd be able to hit him with her bow. Worst of all, the closest house was too far to reach by jumping.

This is so stupid, the worst idea I ever had, she thought, but even so she was doing it. She took the rope she had left and tied it to one of the arrows. Notch, she told herself. Draw, she told herself, and hoped the arrow would get stuck to the roof of the neighboring house. Loose, she told herself, and she loosed. It flew through the air and there was a loud thunk as it hit the wall. The rope was long enough that it went from the other house to Erika's hand, and she tied it to the leg of one of the beds. Stupid idea, she said as she tried to cross. As it turns out, balancing in heels is no easy task, and Erika almost fell. By then she was sure she had been seen, but it didn't matter; she clung to the rope with both her hands and made her way through until she was at the roof and had a clear view of Cobraja.

This is also a stupid idea, she thought, but it was so satisfying. She lept from the roof and kicked Cobraja in the face. When she landed, she was surrounded, but she was too quick to hit. She dodged all the swords and spears that were lunged against her, and with the same agility she did so, she hit her assailants, dropping them to the floor, and when there were just two of them left, she grabbed one by the hair and tossed him against the other.

"Erika," Cobraja spit some blood on the dirt ground. "I'm so sorry this had to happen."

"Are you?" She asked, punching him again. This time he did not answer. Two out of four now, she said to herself. If she kept at this pace, she felt like she could take on the entire army of the Desert Apostles.

But she knew she really couldn't. From where she was, Erika couldn't see if the towers were still holding strong, and she thought she didn't want to know; she would just keep fighting, buying time until Itsuki came.

There was screaming on a street close to her, and she recognized the place; the neighborhood where she had helped find the water so that the inhabitants could build a well. But there were no children playing there now, nor women with babies in their arms. Defenders of Sandstorm were clashing with Desert Apostles, and they seemed outnumbered.

"No surrender!" One of them yelled moments before being cut down. Erika ran to help them fight, and there she saw General Kumojacky.

And it looked like he had seen her as well, and he commanded his soldiers to clear the way, as he had found a worthy opponent. The fool, Erika thought, and while she was thinking, his fist met her face.

Erika could taste her blood in her own mouth, and she struggled to regain her balance, but Kumojacky did not give her a moment of rest, as he was striking against her again, this time with his enormous sword. Erika ducked and lunged against his legs, trying to knock him down, but he swiftly avoided her and she almost got her arms chopped off for her efforts. He slashed at the air, again and again, and Erika made circles around him; she did not have the chance to strike at him, else she'd feel the blade. Kumojacky was a huge man, yet he was so quick.

Erika was leaping back as Kumojacky rushed towards her, his sword always cleaving, and no one dared to get in his way. Erika almost fell to the floor when she tripped on some rocks, and then the sword was an inch from her head. Kumojacky drove down the blade as Erika fell to her back; she rolled to the side, and the sword hit the ground with such force that it got stuck. Kumojacky laughed, sure of his triumph, and as he lifted his weapon again, Erika looked at the ground, at all those rocks and dirt and holes. The well. She put her hand on the ground and yelled and cried and her fingers dug in the dirt until her nails were cutting down the earth and bled. The earth shook, and before Kumojacky even had the chance to notice what was happening, a torrent burst from underneath the ground, hitting him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Erika kicked his sword away from him, and the water all around enclosed him, trapping him. Kumojacky was struggling and trying to scream, but he was drowning, dying, and when he seemed resigned, Erika lifted her hand.

Kumojacky breathed heavily and his eyes were open wide in shock, but even so he moved his hand to try and reach for his sword, but it was too far now.

"I... I yield," he said, and it looked like surrendering hurt him more than anything that Erika could do to him. So she slammed his face against the ground, and after that he said nothing. Three out of four, she said, and she looked at all the soldiers in front of her, cheering. Even the Desert Apostles dropped their weapons in sight of their defeated commander, though, of course, Erika did not think that many more would do the same.

Erika got up, and only then did she feel pain. Her head hurt so much, and it felt like something broke in her. But she was alive, triumphant over three great generals, and that helped to ease the pain. The soldiers surrounded her, anxious for their new orders. Yes, she thought, they respect me now, they will listen to me. We can win, she thought as she made up a new plan in her head. The fighting would take long, she was sure, and they would have to hide in what towers were left, and just hold on, just hold on and wait until Sunshine came. The path was clear now, and Erika smiled.

"Men, to me!" She yelled. "Follow me now, and let us take back the city! We must now-"

There was a noise behind her, and then the cold. Defenders of Sandstorm and Desert Apostles alike ran away without saying a word. Erika slowly turned back as a cold wind ran its fingers across her back.

There she stood, all clad in black, her face devoid of any humanity. Erika froze; those dark fingers grabbed her by the neck, cold, so cold. Her right eye was closed, but the other one hated. Then it opened, and in its bright gold Erika saw no trace of pity. Erika closed her eyes in fear of the one they called Dark Precure, and she felt her feet leave the ground. When she looked again, she was flying, falling, those eyes of hatred staring keenly at her as she hit the ground.


	21. Blossom V

The Sunflower Aegis was so cold now, Tsubomi thought. The hot desert wind had become a constant companion of hers, one that she always cursed. It was gone now, though, Sandstorm was gone, Erika was gone. The sun and ocean were gone, and the moon took their place.

Yuri was already talking often now, though her voice was still but a whisper, and any sound louder than that would take her aback. She was quiet this morning, so Tsubomi just sat in her bed with a book in hands.

"Tsubomi," Yuri called out from her chair by the window. She got up and sat next to Tsubomi. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, just this book I found at the library yesterday," Tsubomi showed her the cover, a collection of brightly colored flowers in a green field. Yuri didn't seem to recognize it. "It's just a bunch of old fairy tales. When I was a child my grandmother would often tell them to me when I was trying to sleep, and I thought I had forgotten them, but now that I'm reading this book, I can recall everything."

"Can you read one for me?" Yuri asked, her voice so childish now. "My parents never had the time to read me many fairy tales."

"Mine didn't, either," Tsubomi said. "They were always far too busy to do so on the few occasions they weren't away from home."

"Ah, so they left you," Yuri said. It wasn't really true, Tsubomi's parents simply worked in the Sweets Kingdom as diplomats, but sometimes Tsubomi couldn't shake off the feeling that she had been abandoned, so she nodded. "I know that pain as well."

"Is it because your mother is back at Silver Moon and you're here?" Tsubomi asked. She did not ask about Yuri's father; that was far more complicated business, she knew.

"That's the least of it, truth be told," Yuri said, and she closed her eyes for a while. She turned to the window and felt the sun. "Sabaku is my father. You knew that, right?"

"Y-Yes," Tsubomi said. Surely what Yuri was about to say was not easy for her, so it surprised Tsubomi that she would actually mention it. Then again, Yuri was never weak, just hurt.

"Well, I don't suppose our situations are that alike," Yuri held Tsubomi's hand. "I know you're strong, though, for living through that. It made me strong as well," she laughed. "Don't you just wish, sometimes, that you did not have to be so strong?"

No. Tsubomi had never felt like she was anything but a weakling. Would Yuri think she was strong if she saw how she cried every night, crushed by life, by the absence of Erika, by the solitude. Oh, the very thought of Erika kept Tsubomi awake at night, brought tears to her eyes. With windows closed, with the sun set, her bedroom seemed so dark, so tiny, and she could not lay still. She would get up and cry as she thought of home, sit down and cry as she thought of Erika, punch the walls and cry as she thought of how she would have to wake up the next day and life would still be empty. She wanted to go home, she wanted to see Erika, and right now those two felt like the same thing.

She nodded anyway.

"Ah, yes, the story," Tsubomi recalled. "Well, there's this story I really find quite interesting. It's not very well known in the south, though, my grandmother told me."

That did not surprise Tsubomi at all. Her story was not a very happy fairy tale, though it was still her favorite. In the south they loved stories about cute critters and fairies. She looked back at the book's cover. The Flower Songs, it was called, and right below the title it said that those were true tales of Märchenland. A fanciful land of fairies where the stories in books that were told to children were born. An older part of the world, where animals still talked, where anything could happen, or so she was told. Tsubomi could not wrap her head over how all those stories had happened once, many centuries ago. She thought of the Bad End Kingdom, those rebels from the land of beings who were villainized in those tales. What could be expected from those who were despised by all but to despise them back? Surely not all witches were evil, but they were all hated, they all joined the Bad End Kingdom, and they all perished with it.

"This story is called The Witch's Roses," Yuri looked at her with curious, attentive eyes.

As soon as she read the first sentence, Tsubomi did not have to read anything else, for it was all clear in her head. She could see plains extending into the horizon, bushes full of flowers scattered around, roses being picked by fairies and wolves and humans. When she read the words, she could almost smell the sweet alyssum, the gardenias and jasmines, the scent of the lily-of-the-valley being blown on her face. This world was a garden with beauty everywhere, yet it were the witch's roses that smelled the sweetest and looked the prettiest.

Red and white they were, but purple as well, and blue, pink and yellow, all colors you can think of. In front of the witch's house shone a rainbow of flowers, and denizens from all of Märchenland would visit it. They did not know the woman who lived there was a witch, nor did she herself know it. What she knew was that her garden was a thing of beauty, and she took pride in it.

"Sweet lady, sweet lady, give us a rose!" Pleaded the small fairies. The witch smiled and gently put a flower in their tiny hands. Their mouths opened wide as they thanked her and ran, playing with their roses, laughing.

She gave away so many roses, yet she always had hundreds of them. When someone asked, she smiled and put a finger to her lips. Her secret. That usually made them give up.

Some didn't, though. The witch took them to her house, and promised to show them how she made her roses. They would get in her house, small but cozy. They would feel the warmth and smell not roses but the tea that the witch had just prepared. They would take a seat by her side, and they would talk about their love of flowers, and drink their tea.

Nothing would happen to the witch. Her guests, though, would notice how their legs were turning green, thinner and thinner, and by then it was too late to run or to scream, for their mouth had already closed, and then their eyes and ears, all of them covered by petals. And they would stay there, silent, blind, deaf, and anyone who stared at them would not see a fairy or a wolf or a human or anyone they would recognize as a person. They would see only a beautiful flower of an unusual, gorgeous color, and ask the witch what was her secret. And, just like that, the witch's garden bloomed eternal, and she always had new roses to give.

Of course, it was not eternal anymore. When her secret was discovered, the witch was executed and all the roses in Märchenland were destroyed in an attempt to free all the poor people who were transformed.

"That was a good story," Yuri said, clearly taken aback. "Chilling, but good. I'm glad that kind of thing doesn't happen anymore. How did the witch not know that what she was doing was wrong, though?"

"Well, for starters, she did not know she was a witch at all! She thought she was a kind fairy who brought beauty to the world. In her head, what she was doing was right."

"She should have noticed, though," Yuri clenched her fists.

"The thing is, she was convinced that she was making people happy and that she had to get more roses. Once an idea takes root in your head, you can't just pull it off. And when it enroots your heart, it can devour you. You can do terrible things."

Yuri seemed thoughtful. Perhaps Tsubomi should have told her a nicer, kinder tale, but she always liked this one greatly.

Tsubomi read some other stories, and Yuri always listened carefully and asked many questions. She did not know any of them. Had her parents truly never sat by her bed as she was soon to fall asleep, run their fingers on her hair as they told her a fairytale?

Soon it was time for lunch, and Tsubomi went to the great hall where the sun always shone. Yuri wouldn't leave her quarters, so it was up to Tsubomi to bring her food. By now she already knew Yuri's tastes quite well; fruits and vegetables were her favorites, though she would not refuse meat. She did not eat many sweets, and did not like salt on her food. Tsubomi would just eat the same meals that Yuri was having. She did not always like the taste of them, but she learned that she quite enjoyed peas, and she had fun in arranging the food in the plates so that they would look pretty.

With plates in hand, Tsubomi was about to return to Yuri, when she heard Itsuki call out from behind her. Isis was at by her side, and they ate together.

"Please, Tsubomi, sit down," Itsuki said. "How is Yuri?"

"She cannot transform yet, but she's talking a lot now. She's grown used to the warmth, she said."

"We all do," said Isis. "It's pretty pleasant after a while, really."

"If Yuri cannot transform, though, we have a problem," Itsuki said. "It's because of her fairy, right? What happened to Cologne?"

"She won't tell," Tsubomi said, but it was plain to see that Yuri had lost her fairy. Dead, Yuri said when she was found in the Great Desert. That was all she said that day, and when she was done talking, she cried.

"She'll need to talk about it someday," Itsuki said, coughing into her hand as she did when she had something serious to say. "Cure Moonlight is the most esteemed Precure of our time. To see her in this state is worrying, and worst of all, I don't know we'll keep the Desert Apostles away without her."

"D-Do you think Sandstorm will fall?" Tsubomi thought of all the things that could happen to Erika, all at once.

"It's likely," Itsuki said, and Tsubomi broke, but she kept silent. She just wanted to get up and run to meet Erika, to help her, but what help would a weakling like her be? "If Sandstorm holds for two more days, our troops scattered around the region can assemble and I will try to lift the siege, but I am not that hopeful."

"You left Erika there to die..." Tsubomi closed her fists, her nails piercing her own hands. It hurt, but if she stopped, then her hands would be at Itsuki's throat.

"No!" Itsuki yelled. She was not angry, nor offended. Only sad. "I left her there because I trust her. Because she can hold Sandstorm for as long as we need for our counterstrike. They will not kill a Precure, believe me."

"But... That's what they do, isn't it? Kill Precures, torture them..."

"Well," Itsuki seemed ashamed. "That's a lie. Truth be told, we kill them more often than they kill us. The Precure Kingdom called them bloodthirsty savages so that our troops would fight more fiercely, and would not feel guilt. They won't kill Erika as long as she does not do anything stupid like attacking Sabaku."

"It was a lie, then? All those tales? You knew it?" Isis and Itsuki both nodded.

"Some cities under the rule of the Desert Apostles weren't conquered, but surrendered willingly," Isis said. "Sandstorm wouldn't, they are under our influence, but many others did."

"So... Why are we fighting?"

"They want to leave the Great Desert, where no crops can grow, where the sun cooks you alive. They want to get to the Precure Kingdom, or at least to the lands close to the Sunflower Aegis," Itsuki said. "But there is no space for them. They are too many."

"So they are fighting because they don't want to die? That's it?"

"That's it?" Itsuki's eyes pierced. "Life is a very noble thing to fight for, perhaps the noblest, worthiest cause. We are fighting because we don't want to die, either. They aren't savages, but they are still killers, and how do you think the Precure Kingdom would suddenly be able to feed a million mouths once the Desert Apostles settle down? Our citizens will starve just as theirs, and there is hatred between us. There would be fighting, the kingdom would divide, enemies could appear and strike during our moment of weakness."

This was all too painful for Tsubomi. Both sides were right, or at least they were convinced they were right, and they both did terrible things. Witch's roses indeed, but this was not pretty at all.

"I'm sorry, Tsubomi. I wish things were easy. It brings me no joy, but I must do my duty. We all must do our duty."

Tsubomi nodded and left as soon as she could. Thorns embraced her heart; her duty was not to a kingdom, but to all living beings, to all who needed help. She was a Precure, above all else, but now it seemed that it did not matter much to most. She did not say anything to Yuri, though. She just ate in silence with her and excused herself.

She looked at the bedroom that was once Erika's. It still smelled faintly like Erika, still had her clothes in the wardrobes the way she left them. Her clothes were the only things that Erika would bother organizing. Her bed was always a mess, pillows always on the floor, but she had three chests full of shoes, one full of flat boots, one with heeled boots and a smaller chest with a dozen sandals. Tsubomi had taken to wearing Erika's clothes sometimes, though Erika was a bit shorter than her and the clothes did not fit very well; Erika's feet were so tiny, too, it hurt to wear her boots. The very skirt she wore now had been sewed by Erika, made for her family's store.

Tsubomi locked the door and fell down on the bed. If she tried really hard, she could imagine Erika there, with that silly grin of hers. Tsubomi messed up the bed as she cried, and she remembered all the times Erika comforted her when she felt sad or unsure about herself, or when Erika herself could not sleep, so sad she was. They would stay awake in the dead of night until they could fall asleep together. There was no comfort this time. Tsubomi closed her eyes, and meant to sleep, let herself be taken by this silence, in the absence of Erika's laughter.

She heard a horn and her eyes opened wide. She opened the door, and went to Yuri's bedroom. She was frozen, staring at a wall. Tsubomi grabbed her hand, but she did not move.

"Yuri, please, come with me, we have to see what's going on, we have to go meet with Itsuki."

"Me. They'll want me," Yuri said. "I should let them."

"I won't let them get you!" Tsubomi said. "They'll have to kill me if they want you!"

"They'll kill you if they need to. You don't matter to them. It's me they want."

"Then let them kill me! I live for nothing right now, so what does it matter? Not you, though, you're important, more important than me, if it takes my life, then so be it! Please, Yuri, let's go."

"B-But I... Cologne died... Because of them... My life means nothing as well..."

"Don't be foolish!" Tsubomi didn't mean to yell, but she did, and Yuri was startled. "Your life is not over! I don't know how it happened, but I know that if you fight, Cologne still lives, he still matters, but if you give up, then he is truly dead. Please, Yuri."

Yuri nodded, her face blank in shock. They went to the great hall, where a dozen soldiers readied their weapons and moved to the Aegis' gate. Oh, that wouldn't be enough. Itsuki was too far away to hear Tsubomi, but her hair shone golden, brighter than the sun through the ceilings, and she was ready for battle as well.

That did not matter at all when the wall was blown to pieces and the guards were scattered around. Tsubomi and Yuri crouched and hid behind a crate in a corner.

"We need to leave, we can't fight, we have to take news of this to the Palace of Smiles" Tsubomi said. "But how to get out of this hall unseen, I do not know."

Tsubomi took a peek, and she saw Itsuki lay down her axe on the floor. The Aegis, fallen without a battle. What force could possibly have ignored all the defenses? Then she saw Itsuki cower as she laid eyes on the woman clad in all black, her dark wing bigger than a person. In her arms, she carried someone. Yuri cried when she saw the woman.

"No, no, no, not her, not her, she did it, it's her fault, she killed Cologne..."

"Please, Yuri, quiet down..."

"Dark Precure... Rotten, evil... Curse her, curse her..."

Tsubomi put a hand on Yuri's mouth. She was too broken now. The tears streamed down her fingers.

"Where is she?" A man stepped close to Itsuki. His face was hidden behind an iron mask. That was Sabaku, lord of the Desert Apostles, the mastermind who led them to triumph, who abandoned the Precure Kingdom and left his daughter behind.

"Who are you talking about?" Itsuki said, but clearly she knew. She will give us time to escape, Tsubomi said to Yuri. She watched closely.

"Moonlight. My daughter," Sabaku said, with no emotion in his voice. "Give her to us and no one shall be harmed."

"I don't know of her whereabouts," Itsuki's voice did not shake at all. Tsubomi could only hope her face would not reveal the lie.

"Think again," Dark Precure said, her voice deep and cruel. She lifted the person she carried by the hair. Blue hair. Tsubomi did not have any more tears to shed, so she just laughed to herself. "I will kill her right now if you don't help us."

"That won't be necessary," Sabaku said. "No harm will come to her, Sunshine, I promise you, just cooperate."

"Very well. Isis," Itsuki called the girl. "Show them to the secret passages. I had Moonlight escape as soon as she could walk. The passage leads to a small village in the mountains, she's quite far by now, but you can catch her."

Tsubomi looked at Erika again. That monstrous Precure tossed her down on the floor. Tsubomi wanted to get up, show herself, and run to Erika, to hug her, to ease her pain. And she wanted to hurt that woman. But she couldn't. Itsuki had tricked them, and she would not make it all in vain, she would not throw everything away. When the hall was empty, Tsubomi got up with Yuri. They just walked out the front gate, undisturbed. The sun was shining too bright, Tsubomi could not bear to look at it. She just kept walking, leaving the Aegis behind.

"Are you alright, Tsubomi?"

Tsubomi did not answer. She had lost her heart when she left Erika the first time. What did she have to lose now?


	22. Peach IV

Far away, past the great black peaks of the Iron Mountains that reached for the moon like dark talons, shone the blazing towers of Solaris, brighter than the stars sprinkled in the sky. Five great beacons they were, always alight, burning all day and night. They were called the Five Suns, and it was said that you could not say you lived a fulfilling life if you did not gaze upon them.

"I had read about the Five Suns when I was at Labyrinth, as part of my education on the surface world," Setsuna did not take her eyes away from the towers one second until then, "but I never dreamt that they could be so pretty."

"Education on the surface world," Tarte repeated with a mocking voice. "I guess you had to know about us if you were to destroy us? I take it that you were very well prepared to do so."

"Tarte, stop it!" Love yelled at him. All day he would question every one of Setsuna's steps; why are you looking there, he'd ask, are your friends following us? Why are you taking so long to eat, are you waiting for them to come and kill us?

"It's alright, Love," Setsuna said. "He's within his rights to question me. Were I in his place, I'd be doubtful as well. I'm deeply thankful you trust me, though."

"Of course I do!" Love said. There was no doubt that Setsuna was a good person, even if others could not see it, even if Setsuna herself doubted it. Love looked into her eyes, so full of kindness buried deep. All her life that poor girl had been in chains, and she was expected to be thankful for it. But Love would take those chains off, one by one.

Wings high above fluttered constantly, and that was all Love could hear when she wasn't talking to Setsuna. She had so many questions; she asked about the other Cures, about the great castles of the Precure Kingdom, about history, about life. Tarte was still suspicious, he claimed that she was only seeking information so that she would stab them in the back later, but when Love heard Setsuna ask about the world and she heard her voice grow warmer, when she saw how Setsuna always looked her in the eyes, those dark red eyes, eyes that made Love think of a heart, her own heart, beating fast but contently, then Love knew there was no deception in Setsuna's voice. There was no Eas to be seen, only Setsuna, kind Setsuna, smiling Setsuna. It made Love so happy to see that even in the most unlikely place, coming from the cruelest and most unforgiving origins, she could find a beautiful heart like that. Ever since the war against the Bad End Kingdom, she had felt like all hearts like that had been snuffed out, locked away, for those hearts were no longer needed in times like these. Setsuna proved her wrong, and that made her feel true joy once again.

"Are there any places prettier than Solaris?" Setsuna turned to Love and asked.

"Oh, don't get me started! Solaris is a beautiful sight, yes, but only in the nights. I went to Watery Cradle once, when I was a child, and I still dream of it," Love said, though that was a lie. She did dream of that place, once, but now her dreams were dark and hurt like fire. "It's a castle built under the water, and the walls at the great hall are like glass, though much harder, and you can see everything from there, all the color and life under the sea. Cure Aqua lived there, so long ago, before she became queen."

"The sea..." Setsuna was not marvelled, only confused. "I can't even imagine what it looks like... We were told it's just water as far as the eye can see."

"It's much better than that, trust me! Everything is better when you can see it for yourself! You should see it someday!"

"Yes," Setsuna hesitated. "But can I? Would I be welcome there? Would I be welcome anywhere, Love?"

"No," Tarte whispered, and Love covered his mouth with her hand.

"Yes, Setsuna!" She said, but Setsuna did not seem so hopeful.

Something seemed to be eating away at Setsuna, but she would not say what it was. Love presumed that it was Setsuna's own business, something she herself would have to take care of, but she wished Setsuna would ask for help.

Soon they were closer to the Five Suns, almost halfway through the narrow mountain passages full of dead trees and shrubs. There was no space for two people to walk side by side, so Eas followed right behind Love. Love felt the craggy rocks at her sides scrape against her skin, and the shale where she stepped was so slippery. Setsuna gripped Love's shoulder so that if one of them slipped, the other would hold them.

When they were past the mountains, the sun was lazily getting up, as if it knew it seemed so humble next to Solaris' flames.

The woods around Solaris were mostly chopped down, and there were signs that even the Iron Mountains were almost depleted. Solaris and its surrounding lands had a strong history of crafting and industry, but it came at the price of the region looking rather desolate. House Hino held those lands, overseen by Cure Sunny, and it was one of the richest dynasties in the Precure Kingdom, rivaling even the Aokis of Frost Hall, the Tsukikages of Silver Moon and the Minazukis of Watery Cradle.

"We'll rest at Solaris for now," Love said. "We'll get the food we so greatly need, and Akane needs to hear what you have to say as well."

"Yes," Setsuna nodded. "The entrance to Labyrinth is not too far from here, though it is not easy to find."

"I only hope that Akane won't try something hasty like attacking Labyrinth," Love said. Akane had been quite hasty during the Bad End War, Love remembered that all too well.

Love looked at the enormous towers of Solaris; the one in the center burned brightest, and it was where Akane lived. The other towers housed soldiers and minor nobles and were smaller in comparison to the Great Sun. The oldest one, to the southeast, was misshapen, built in a hurry. It looked more like a half-melted candle than a glorious tower.

The guards at the gate of the Great Sun recognized Love and Tarte, bowed and let them inside, and Setsuna followed with hurried footsteps. The inside of Solaris' towers wasn't as rough as the castle looked on the outside; warm corridors with silken carpets twisted into reading rooms, quarters and meeting halls. Most castles proudly showed their sigils and portraits of its glorious members on the walls, but but in Solaris there were hammers and tools that were created by brilliant engineers and craftsmen who worked there. Below Sandstorm, in great chambers in the depths of the earth, forges and furnaces burned and hammers met anvils all day long. Underground, the five towers were connected by long tunnels, not only for ease of travelling, but it was also a trap for enemies that managed to capture one of the Suns and tried to infiltrate the others through the tunnels; the towers of Solaris were built so that they could be lowered, crushing the invaders directly below them and trapping the ones in the tunnels.

When Love last went to Solaris, she spent most of the day on the deepest chamber, a shrine, always scorching hot, that was said to be the closest point to the World's Heart in the entire continent. Love did not think that the World's Heart was actually buried underground, but she prayed there anyway. She thanked it for seeing the good in her heart that allowed her to become a Precure, and she prayed for good fortune in her quest with Tarte.

Their reception at Solaris was warm enough; Akane herself greeted Love, despite being very busy herself, quite likely. Her hair was in a tiny, simple ponytail, quite a change from how luxuriously brushed the Precure usually kept their locks. She had a small but friendly smile, and her gloved hands were full of dust.

"Hello again, Love," Akane said. "Who's this?"

"Eas-" Tarte said before Love could shut his mouth.

"She's Setsuna, and she knows about the attacks on the lands of House Tsukikage. She has much to explain to us, and I urge you to listen."

"Very well, then," Akane said, her face frowning into a worried expression. "We should go to my office."

They nodded; Setsuna followed without saying a word, but when Love looked back, her eyes avoided everything. It looked as if she felt ashamed about being there, like she felt she was not allowed there, or was not good enough.

Akane's office was a mess; her desk had been flipped over, one of the two chairs was on the floor and the other was missing a leg. There was a smell of dust on the air; Love looked around, and the walls were so dirty, as were the bookshelves, and most of the floor. There was a wet rag on the floor and a bucket, and some of the stone in the floor had been scrubbed, but not much.

"It's in a sorry state, I know," Akane said. "My old office was in the top floor, but that was not convenient for people who wanted to talk to me, was it? My poor old adviser had such difficulty climbing up all those steps, and I needed him so often, so I chose to just move to a dusty old unused room here," she smiled. "I wanted to tidy it up myself, but you can see it's being a rather slow job. I'd invite you to sit down, but, well, I guess that's not a choice."

Akane closed the doors behind them. Love wanted to sneeze, but held on. Tarte didn't, though, and for such a tiny fairy, he was awfully loud when he sneezed.

"You were saying?" Akane asked when Tarte calmed down.

"Setsuna is from Labyrinth-"

"Labyrinth?" Akane almost shrieked. She approached Setsuna and stared with amazed eyes. "That cannot be..."

"I am not lying!" Setsuna said, her voice pained, as if the was preparing to defend herself.

"N-No, I did not mean to call you a liar," Akane said. "It's just shocking. Oh, the Palace of Smiles needs to know about this as soon as possible. Tell me more, Setsuna."

"A-Alright," Setsuna nodded, and she told Akane all about her life as Eas, how she had been chosen to lead an attack on the Precure Kingdom, but during her training she began to doubt Labyrinth's cause and turned traitor. "My companions have left me behind at Silver Moon, and they took Lady Haruna with them as a hostage. They are still out there, and wherever they are, that place is not safe."

"So Labyrinth lives on under the soil we walk... Might be they're closer to the World's Heart than even the old shrine here. My, this is so worrisome. I would just gather all the soldiers here and march out in the next morning... But the truth is, I don't have many soldiers, and Beauty would be very disappointed if I acted without her consent and proper preparation. She says she'll be needing me soon, and though I suspect what she wants, I'm not sure yet, so I will just stay here until I get a command."

"Very well," Love said. Akane did not tell her what it was that Beauty needed, so Love presumed it was a secret. She did not like Beauty's secrets; most likely it would be some huge needless monument. Still, she was glad that Akane would not simply rush towards danger in her hot-blooded haste.

Akane urged them to go to the Palace of Smiles as soon as they could ride out, as she would give them horses and food, but Love chose to rest there; she, Tarte and Setsuna had been travelling for very long now, and could hardly stand. When Love was taken to her quarters, she jumped on her bed. The last time she could sleep on a mattress was at the Precure Palace, but of course it could not compare to one at a great castle. Setsuna's bedroom was right in front of Love's. From his corner of the room, Tarte kept looking at Setsuna from afar.

"You have no reason to distrust her, Tarte."

"Of course I do! Things aren't that easy, Love, our enemies won't simply surrender to us because they know we're right."

"I know that," Love said. "But I see it in her eyes, in her face, that all she says is true. Can't you believe that a person could be honest, Tarte?"

"Of course, but-"

"I believe she is honest and good. Even though she was raised in hatred, in pain, I can see she has a kind heart. Don't you find it wonderful, Tarte?"

Tarte looked at Love like she was speaking gibberish, and he shook his head.

"Well, I think it is. Ever since the Bad End War, since I saw what those self-proclaimed righteous people can do, since I saw the Precure Kingdom fall apart in decadence, I've been so stupid, so angry and doubtful. I thought everyone was bad, that suffering was a normal thing, even though such a thought should not have taken hold of my heart for a second; I'm a Precure, I must fight for all hearts and believe in the good in them, and fight for happiness, but I did not. Well, Setsuna proves I was wrong. People are good, Tarte, and they can fight for their happiness."

Tarte did not say anything. Love took his silence for agreement, got up and approached Setsuna. She was sitting in her bed, hand in her knees, looking around her.

"You don't have to stay here all day, Setsuna," Love said. "This is not the prettiest place ever, but it's still quite nice, and there are things we can see!"

"May I?" Setsuna asked. "Oh, Love, I feel like I should not be here. I feel like my presence here is a farce, that I'm doing something wrong."

"You're doing nothing wrong, Setsuna! You've just been so used to life in Labyrinth that you find it hard to believe that you are allowed to be happy! Well, you are! And you deserve to be! Even if you don't feel happy now, you can get your happiness if you keep trying," she put her hand on Setsuna's chest. "Do you feel your heartbeat, Setsuna? I am sure someday you will feel warmth, and you will learn how good it feels to have a happy heart. A happy heart..."

"How does it feel?" Setsuna asked. Love did not expect that. She had forgotten it herself for so long, even now it was a strange feeling.

"It... It's good. You feel happy with yourself, and wouldn't want to change a thing."

"I see. There's plenty of things I'd like to change. I guess my heart is not truly happy yet, then. It's cold and insecure, really."

"As is mine, in truth. Might be because of Solaris. The sooner we can leave this place, the better, but if we rode out now we'd faint on the way. It makes me ill to be here, to be with Akane..."

"What is the matter, Love?" Setsuna's voice dripped with worry. "Do you dislike her?"

"And her friends as well, yes. Have you read about the Bad End War that happened a few years ago?"

"I know of it, but news travel slowly and I did not hear of many details."

"Well," Love said, voice full of bitterness now. "That was when I knew the Precure Kingdom was headed towards something bad. Beauty had already stolen the throne from the rightful queen, and just two months later a creature who went by the name Pierrot united all the despised denizens of Märchenland, the ones who were demonized in tales, who were oppressed because of how they were born. and with his army he quickly conquered Märchenland. That new realm was called the Bad End Kingdom, and it turned its attention to the kingdom in its west: Majorland."

"And I assume the Precure Kingdom rushed to the aid of its new ally."

"Yes. We had to, those were the terms of the alliance, and Majorland could fall without us. A single kingdom with the power of that entire continent..." Love shivered at the thought. "When we got there, we heard that these two girls from Majorland became Precure when their town was attacked by the enemy army. How could that happen? Only in the Precure Palace can someone become a precure, when they are touched by the light of the World's Heart. And yet those two girls, Melody and Rhythm, became Precure, bonded to one another like no other Cures before. Our armies helped secure Majorland's borders. It's funny, we were there to defend our allies, but a month later we were marching on enemy territory. Cure Muse meant to negotiate with Pierrot, but Beauty did not allow her. She said the Bad End King could not be reasoned with. And so we marched, destroying all opposition on the way, burning their cities and killing them all. Defense? It was extermination. I was disgusted as we razed the country, but I did nothing to stop the massacre, so I was just as disgusting. Finally we were outside the walls of Fabul, Majorland's capital, taken by Pierrot, and we expected a long battle."

"I heard of that, at least a little," Setsuna said. "It was an easy battle, wasn't it?"

"Battle?" Love said. "It was no battle. Happy had managed to send a letter to one of Pierrot's servants and she arranged for him to be poisoned, for his closest supporters to be killed right there, and for the gates to be opened. Beauty, Happy, March, Peace and Sunny were the first ones to enter the city, oh so glorious in their treachery. I did not dare to enter the city. When the army finally left, the city had been plundered, and Beauty herself carried a heavy chest. Ever since then, not a single denizen of the Bad End Kingdom has been seen. I can only imagine what happened there, but I know it was terrible."

Setsuna held Love's hand. She understood Love, she was sure of it, she must have also known how it felt to see atrocity around you and not be able to stop it. If only other people knew how it felt, they would understand why Love felt such rage sometimes.

Love and Setsuna feasted with Akane and other guests. Akane was always warm, always joking, and Love thought that maybe she was not that bad, maybe she and her friends had their reasons to do what they did. Maybe it was a necessary evil, but to Love, it was evil nonetheless. Maybe they could do terrible things for the greater good, but that did not make things any better for Love. Still she joked with Akane, and even Setsuna tried a few quips, though there was no joking in Labyrinth and all that Setsuna got were awkward smiles. That night, Love did not have any nightmares, and instead she dreamt of Heartswood, where she had lived when she was a child, that beautiful palace built around that old forest where she used to play so much.

In the next morning, they left as the true sun rose. Akane waved at them and she got smaller and smaller as they rode towards the Palace of Smiles. For the first time in so long, Love could say she had a chance to get her happiness. She was not happy yet, but now joy was not far from her grasp. Setsuna made her feel hopeful, even if she did not know how much good she was doing to Love's heart. She could only hope that she brought ease to Setsuna's heart as well.

* * *

_If only Love knew how much turmoil she brought into Eas' heart. It's always fun when people with wildy differing moral codes clash and you can't really tell who's right (though of course Love would say it's her. Would she approve of Erika's traps at Sandstorm? Somehow I think not. If only they weren't half a world apart, maybe we'd know...)_


	23. Rhythm IV

Nobody was smiling at the Palace of Smiles. Full of pretty paintings and gardens it might be, but Kanade just couldn't call it a beautiful, warm place. Everyday she would just wander around without much to do, even though everything was at her disposal. She would stay at the music room if she could, but Hibiki was always there, and Kanade would only look at Hibiki in the eyes again if she apologized for being so stupid. Hibiki must have known she was wrong for abandoning Kanade, she was so stupid so as to not realize that. She knew she was wrong, Kanade was sure of that, it was plain to see in her face.

Kanade had apologized to Hummy for all the terrible things she had said, though, and so she felt free from guilt. She visited Hummy in the Fairy Chamber, where Inori was always busy tending to dozens of yelling fairies; that was the one place in the Palace of Smiles where she did not feel uncomfortable.

"Hello again, Kanade," Inori smiled at her. She had a fairy in each hand and a tiny white and yellow one on top of her head.

"Hi, Buki. Hi, Hummy," she waved at her friend, who was, to no surprise, singing to her fellow fairies. She did not end her song, but she nodded pleasantly at Kanade.

"Ah, I'm so busy today!" Inori said as she almost tripped on her own leg. "Busy, busy, busy! I'm afraid I won't be much fun today, Kanade, I have to clean this room, then put the new sheets I got today on the fairies' little beds, then feed them all, and I promised I'd make them something special for lunch today."

"I can help you if you'd like, at least with the cooking," Kanade said. "I could bake your fairies a delicious cake!"

"Yay, cake!" The fairy on top of Inori's head screamed in a high-pitched voice. All the other fairies heard and got hysterical as well. Cake, cake, they cried out.

"Oh, Potpourri, calm down, please" Buki said. "Thank you, Kanade, I think I'll accept your offer," all the fairies cheered when she said that. "Will you need some help? You can take Chypre or Coffret with you if you'd like, they help me around a lot!"

"Yeah, we're very good at it," said the fairy with blue beads on its head.

"Oh, Coffret, you flatter yourself," the one with a pink ribbon said. "I'm the one who really does the hard work here."

They stared at each other with great intensity, and then started laughing. They floated beside Kanade as she made her way to the Palace's enormous kitchen. Half a dozen cooks were already working there, but there were still a few ovens available. Kanade smiled; this is where she belongs. She only wished she could go there more often, but did not want to bother the cooks.

"Chypre, Coffret, I'll need sugar, flour, cocoa powder, some eggs, milk, lots of it all would be good. I can get the rest myself," she said and the fairies nodded before they floated away to the pantry.

Once she had all she needed, she started her work. Kanade hadn't baked in a good while, but she'd never forget how to make a cake. She remembered all the times she had cake with Hibiki, and the sudden anger made her crush the egg she had in her hand.

"What's wrong, Kanade?" Chypre asked.

"Nothing. Let's just keep working. Can you get me some strawberries and cream? I think the cake is just too bland the way it is now."

They left her again. Kanade tried to forget all the thoughts that made her sad, but now it was too late. She wanted to eat with Hibiki again, and laugh with her, smile at her, to hug and kiss and sleep by her side again. But Hibiki had been so stupid... Or maybe it was Kanade's fault. Maybe both of them were wrong. But it was most likely Hibiki, Kanade thought with anger as she mixed the cake.

Soon the cake was in the oven, and all there was left to do was wait. Chypre and Coffret's mouths watered as they looked at the oven, and Kanade thanked them and said they could go back to Inori now. In a little while she'd bring them the cake, she said.

She took it off the oven, and looked at it with pride. A great chocolate cake, so creamy in the inside, with a frosting of fluffy white cream and a circle of large strawberries on top. It was a delight to look at, and it surely tasted wonderfully. Once it had cooled down a bit, Kanade took it to the Fairy Chamber, with great care to not drop the cake. She would never forgive herself if she did.

On the way there she saw Ellen standing against a wall, looking at the ceiling, sighing. Was there anybody here who wasn't bored to tears?

"Ellen, hello!"

"Ah, hi, Kanade."

"I've baked a cake," she showed it to Ellen, not that it wasn't plain to see already; it was impossible to miss such a large cake. "Would you like to come eat it with us?"

"U-Us?"

"Me, Inori, and the fairies she takes care of. Come on, it'll be fun, I swear, Inori is a very nice person!"

"I don't think I should..."

"Please, Ellen. I know you've been having a terrible time here, so let's just have fun, just this once."

Ellen agreed, reluctantly, and followed behind Kanade. The cake smelled so good, Kanade could not wait to eat it. Chocolate cakes were always her best, everyone told her so.

When she entered the Fairy Chamber again, she looked in the distance and saw Hummy's eyes and mouth open wide in surprise. For a moment she thought that maybe Hummy was impressed at the cake, but then she looked at Ellen who stood by her side and she understood.

"Oh, my, Kanade, it looks so pretty!" Inori said. "I already told all the fairies to get their little plates and forks. They kept asking about the cake while you were gone," she smiled. "Thank you, Kanade," Inori turned to the fairies. "Well, let's eat!"

They cheered again, and made a line. Not a very organized one, as they kept shoving each other around, no matter how many times Buki told them not to. All friendships and politeness were tossed aside when cake was the prize.

Ellen stared at Hummy. No friendship or politeness in this one, Kanade wondered if this was a poor idea, but she had to try. Maybe Ellen and Hummy could make up, maybe they could succeed where Kanade and Hibiki had failed.

By the time Kanade turned her eyes from Ellen, she felt a lightness on her hands. The cake was gone without a trace, without her even noticing. The fairies all spoke out at once, and Kanade looked around. In a corner of the room, a small fairy sat down, its forehead shining bright, and the cake was floating towards it.

"Chiffon, no!" Inori said. She ran to the fairy, and picked up the cake from her. "You'll get a slice when it's your turn, just like everybody else."

The fairy whined a little, and seemed about to cry, but Inori pet her head, and she smile again.

"This one is special," Inori said.

"I can tell, yes."

"She's just a baby, she can't control it yet," Inori smiled at Chiffon. "Come to think of it, she's been a baby for a while now. Maybe she'll always be like this."

Kanade nodded. Something seemed strange about the symbol on the fairy's head, but Kanade paid it no mind. That did not matter at all now. She took two slices of the cake, and gave them to Hummy.

"I get two?" Hummy said, her mouth watering.

"No, silly," Kanade whispered. "One is for Ellen," she and Hummy looked at the girl, who just stood close to the door.

"Are you sure, Kanade?"

"Not at all," she admitted. "But just being sad and not trying to make amends at all, to talk about your problems, is just terrible, don't you think?"

"You're one to talk," Hummy said. "If I do as you say, will you finally talk to Hibiki again?"

"Yes," Kanade had to force the words out. They cut as they went up her throat, so she had to say them again. "Yes, I will."

"Thank you, Kanade," Hummy said, and smiled. "You know, I was going to share my slice with Ellen even if you hadn't said anything. I just wanted to get you to try to get close to Hibiki again."

"Y-You tricked me? Y-You little…"

Hummy extended her paw to Kanade, and her annoyance melted away immediately. She could never resist that fairy's charms.

"Were you really going to give Ellen your only slice of the cake? That would leave so little for the both of you."

"Well, when were just little fairies and lived in the streets, we had to make do with very little," Hummy said. She never spoke much of the time she and Ellen, who was still just Siren, lived in the streets of Operetta. Kanade did know that they were both orphans, but she never asked more about it. Kanade just nodded and watched as Hummy approached Ellen with a smile on her lips and cake in hand.

It could not have gone worse. Ellen at first only ignored Hummy and rejected her approaches, but as she kept trying to reach out for Ellen, she snapped. In her voice there was no trace of that soothing singer, in her eyes, none of the grace she once had.

"Leave me, Hummy, I don't want your cake! I don't want anything from you!"

"B-But Siren-"

"No, no, no!" She shrieked. "I want nothing from you. I don't need your help; you're the one who should be asking me for it."

"I just wanted to give you cak-"

"Why?" Her tone was confrontative. "You think I can't do it on my own? I bet that's what you think."

"I just wanted to eat with you, that's all..."

"Spare me," Ellen turned her back and left the Fairy Chamber. There was an awkward silence as each fairy stared at the one on its side, while Hummy was tearing up. Kanade wanted to comfort her, but she did not know how, and she wanted to talk to Ellen, but did not know what to say. She could only hope that when she did talk to Hibiki, it would not end as terribly as this.

She left without even eating her cake; Kanade just wanted to leave that terrible atmosphere behind, go to some place that wasn't sad, but it seemed like there was no place like that.

It had been raining since the morning, just a few minutes each time before it stopped, but all day long, the rain kept coming back, gently plonking on the rooftops and the trees. Even so, the day was warm and the air was damp to the point of being uncomfortable, and hot winds would get inside the few windows that were open and touch Kanade's skin with no warning. She felt herself sweat a bit, and felt gross.

"She's here," Kanade heard someone say and point to the main gate of the Palace. Miyuki rushed there to meet whoever it was who had just arrived, and Kanade followed behind. Outside the grass was wet and sticky, and there were puddles all around. The rain had ceased for now, but Kanade had no doubt it would return soon.

The Palace did not have great gates as grandiose castles usually did: they were small, usually open and were more decorative than anything else. They were of a bright metal that looked beautiful yet frail, and on them were engraved the figures of flowers and their vines wrapped around swords. Two girls walked through the gate. Kanade immediately could tell that one of them was Love Momozono, Cure Peach. Kanade did not like her very much for what she and her country had done during the Bad End War, but she figured it was necessary, and so she did not blame anyone personally. The other one, clad in black, Kanade did not know. They got down their horses, that were then taken to the stables of the Palace of Smiles.

"Hello, Love," Miyuki said. "Are you alright? You seem so tired. Who's your friend?"

"It was a long trip, yes, but we'll be fine once we're well rested," Love turned to the unknown girl. "This is Setsuna. She was an agent of Labyrinth that surrendered and is now helping us."

"Labyrinth? Surely this can't be true... they're gone."

"I'm afraid not," Love said. "Where is Her Majesty? We must tell her at once."

"Oh, I'm afraid she's not here," Miyuki said, embarrassed. This morning she set out with Cure March to Stormwall, to meet with Cure Peace."

"What is Labyrinth?" Rhythm cut in their conversation before they could change the subject.

"I don't suppose you ever heard of it in Majorland," Love said.

"I'd rather tell you all about it when the queen is back, so I can talk to all of you at the same time," Setsuna said, and Miyuki nodded.

"Very well, then, I'll wait," she sounded a bit disappointed. "I was really curious, though, Setsuna!"

Love insisted that they were exhausted, and so Miyuki asked them to go find Miki to get their accommodations ready. Miyuki always had a smile on her face, yet Love was so blunt and cold when she talked to her. That seemed so rude of her, Kanade thought, especially to someone as nice as Miyuki. Kanade never grudged her, certainly not as much as she did with the other Precure of the Precure Kingdom.

She and Miyuki walked back to the Palace's great hall side by side, in silence. Kanade still thought of Ellen's argument with Hummy. Could that even be called an argument? It was more an attack on poor Hummy, who had not done anything wrong. Or had she? Kanade did not know. Perhaps it was all Hummy's fault indeed, and she had wounded Ellen in a way that Kanade didn't know. She had always assumed that Ellen was just jealous about not being chosen to sing the Melody of Happiness, but what if Hummy had said something hurtful to her?

"Is something wrong, Kanade?" Miyuki said. Kanade had not bothered hiding her somber expression, so it was no surprise that someone had noticed.

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm worried; I fought with Hibiki not long ago. I did not want to come here, while she was excited to, and we've been awful to each other because of it. Though I fear I might have been worse than her. We've been apart ever since, and we don't talk, or even look at each other. I hate her, Miyuki. I've known her since I was a little girl, and we have studied together, played our music together, comforted each other when we were sad, helped the other sleep when we were restless, and yet I hate her. Well, it's not quite hatred. I don't wish her harm, and I don't regret the time I spent with her, but I can't bear to be close to her. I feel myself burn with rage, and I say things that I shouldn't say, and I can't even pretend I don't mean to be cruel. I hurt her, Miyuki. And she hurt me too, but maybe she did not mean to. I did, though."

"Well," Miyuki thought for a while, then put her hand on Kanade's shoulder, "this might not be the most pleasant thing to hear, but I think you should hear it all the same. Do you think it is your fault?"

"No. Hibiki was the stubborn one. I might be reacting too strongly, but it's because she was stupid."

"Oh, Kanade. I'm sorry, but I think this might be your fault. The fact that you don't see it makes me believe it even more. Clearly someone must be to blame, and I urge you to look deep inside yourself and see if you have not done anything wrong."

"It can't be my fault. I always want the best for us. Hibiki doesn't really know what's the best for us, she's too impulsive, but I know! Hibiki just doesn't want to see that I'm right, that's why we've fallen apart."

"Oh, the witches can never tell they are the villains in a fairy tale," Miyuki said, suddenly serious. "They think the tale is their own. Are you a witch, Kanade?"

Kanade could not answer that. Was she? She was so sure she was in the right, but now there was this voice telling her that she might have made a mistake, and Kanade could not silence it. It was always there, in the back of her mind.

"Please think about it, Kanade," Miyuki smiled at her and hugged her, but her voice was melancholic. "I'm sorry if what I said was blunt or rough, but it pains me to see you making a mistake without realizing it. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes, though, as long as you fix them. Yes, there's nothing wrong..."

Miyuki parted ways with Kanade, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She felt the need to see Hibiki as soon as she could, a need the likes of which she hadn't felt in a long time. She wanted to apologize, even though she knew it wouldn't be easy. It would take a while for them to get over their problems, she knew. But she didn't care, she only hoped that Hibiki would try.

She wondered if she was the witch in this story, and Hibiki was the main character she was hurting. Maybe Hibiki was the witch, or both of them. Or maybe everyone was, and everyone hurt one another without knowing. Kanade saw herself in front of the music room, its door closed, but she could hear faint traces of the melody through the door. We all hurt each other, and we all make mistakes, but we can fix it. Kanade's hand was sweating as she touched the cold door handle. Her heart was in agony, and thoughts clouded her mind. It would be so painful to admit all the wrong she had done, to try to fix it. We all hurt each other, but maybe if we endure it, break through the walls, brave the fire that burned her so much, maybe she'd find something wonderful if she got through the pain. If they fixed it...

She opened the door and did not care about the pain.

* * *

_So now all the POV characters are together, and looking like they might overcome their issues, or at least try. There are many of them, though, so let's hope for the best! By the way, I'm considering adding a couple standalone chapters told from the point of view of characters who aren't actually regular POV characters. I'd love to write an Ellen chapter or two, but I fear it might screw up the story's pacing, so I'll have to think it carefully. I do like having POV characters with wildly different opinions, though, like how bitter Love is about the Precure Kingdom, whereas Kanade is merely suspicious, and Tsubomi is full of admiration. While reading, I recommend you to take the opinions of each one of them with a grain of salt. They all have their own ideas, but they might not be all correct, so it'd be for the best if you just took everything into consideration and tried to draw your own conclusions on things, on what might happen and on what's truth or lies._

_Well, this was long. I guess I just decided to take a moment to talk about stuff, haha. I'm really enjoying writing this fic, even though I'm not being as fast as I'd like (at least I'm finishing a chapter a week, so there's a bit of consistency), and I hope you are enjoying to read it and will continue to do so! There are some great things to come, I assure you!_


	24. Eas IV

There was no music in Labyrinth, so when Eas sat down to listen to Hibiki play the piano, she did not know what to expect. Miki and Love were by her side, and they assured her that it would be wonderful.

"Hibiki is very talented," Miki said. "I come here everyday just to listen to her music."

"From what I've read, songs are usually played by many people," Eas said. "Was that wrong?"

"Not really," Love said. "A song can be played by an orchestra, with dozens of different instruments, or by a small group, or by a person alone. Or it can be a duet."

Eas nodded. She did not understand the importance of music at all, or what it even was supposed to mean; a fool's diversion, she learned in Labyrinth, that keeps the minds of the surface dwellers occupied with unimportant affairs. And yet it seemed to matter so much to them; perhaps what she had learned was indeed wrong. That bothered Eas: not the idea that maybe Labyrinth was wrong, but that she herself was questioning what she was told. Never question, never think, that's what she learned, but now she questioned and thought and she wanted to learn more, by herself, she wanted to learn things she would never be able to discover in Labyrinth. That tore her heart in two, and it hurt so much; she was Eas, loyal agent of Labyrinth, the hand of Lord Moebius and his will, but she was also Setsuna, free, with the whole world in her reach, hers to see, hers to discover.

She turned to look at Love, who just smiled back. This was all her fault for being so kind. Were it anyone else who had found her at Silver Moon, someone who wouldn't be so warm, who wouldn't extend the hand of friendship so easily, Eas would still hate the Precure, and she would desire nothing more than to bring them down. But now she did not know what she desired.

Eas listened to music for the first time. It felt rather slow to her, but she couldn't be sure, as it was her first song, and she could not compare it to anything. Still, she decided that she liked it. She felt that feeling again, the one that she had not felt in years, but that had taken root in her heart when she grew closer to Love. It was what they called joy, she presumed. All she knew was that she wanted to feel that again.

"Oh, this is such a pretty song, don't you think?" Miki said. "The Melody of Happiness, the sacred song of Majorland, played every year at the great Concert Hall of Operetta in front of the royal family, and of thousands of people. I hope I can be there someday," she said, dreamy.

The music was interrupted by the sound of the door slowly being opened, creaking. Eas saw a girl step inside discreetly, contemplating her surroundings until her eyes met Hibiki. She seemed so elegant and pretty, her hair so graciously blushed. She took quick steps until she reached Hibiki, and with her face all red, she whispered something that Eas could not understand. The two of them had smiles on their lips, and the girl sat by Hibiki's side.

"Hey, you three," Hibiki yelled from the other side of the music room. She sounded positively beaming. "Kanade and I are going to play a more upbeat song now, if you don't mind!"

They all nodded. This new song was quite faster, and Eas got lost at some points. Even so she liked it very much, as she had liked the last one. Love seemed to be liking it even more, though, as she had a huge grin now.

"Do you like this song, Love?"

"Oh, very much!" Love said. "The Dance of the Stars was always one of my favorite songs, ever since my mother taught me how to sing it when I was a little kid."

"Sing this song? But I hear no words..."

"Oh, there are many ways to play a song, Setsuna, that's the beauty of it! You can play a song and take out its lyrics so that you can only hear its melody, or you can play it with a full orchestra so that it will sound bombastic, or with just a few instruments, very slowly, for a more emotional feel. You can choose how to play a song, and you can choose what makes you the happiest."

"So this song used to have words but they're not singing them?" Eas struggled to understand that very well. "And if they wanted, they could make it sound sad?"

"Exactly. Much as a sad song can become full of joy. Sad songs can be pretty, but, truth be told, I prefer the happy ones, or the ones that make you want to dance. Isn't that so, Miki?"

"Ah, but we haven't danced together in a while," she said.

"D-Dance?" Now Eas was even more confused. Why would a person do something as pointless and stupid as dancing?

"Yes, I love it! When we were kids, me, Miki and Buki would dance together and have a lot of fun."

"Those were the days, weren't they?" Miki smiled.

"We might be rusty, but I'm sure we can still dance if we tried!" Love said.

"Rusty?" Miki laughed. "Maybe you and Buki. I have to admit that I never stopped practicing. I was perfect at it, after all, and I can't afford to get below that level! You two would be struggling to keep up with me, I'm sure," Miki bragged, but there was no real conceit in her voice, only rightful pride. Miki was so confident in herself, so sure of what she could do. Eas wondered what it felt like to be happy with yourself like that.

"Then I'll need Setsuna's help!" Love grabbed Eas' arm. "We can practice together, Setsuna! I'll teach you how much fun this is."

For a second she thought of asking Love to let go of her, of getting up and walking away, of telling Love exactly what she thought of that foolishness; she had a duty, and it did not involve wasting her time with something so pointless. But that was only for a second; before she knew it, she was thinking of how nice it could be to do something pointless, just for fun. Eas never did anything for fun, everything she did had a purpose. But now she could choose, and she could choose to spend her time with something that brought her pleasure, that brought warmth to her heart.

"Alright, Love," Eas smiled at her. She did not know if dancing would bring that warmth she had learned to love, but she would try to find out.

For the rest of the day, those songs did not leave Eas' head. There were no songs in Labyrinth, no sounds but the footsteps of thousands of people walking in unison, of the voice of Lord Moebius echoing all across Labyrinth, of people ordering her.

Those thoughts kept her up even as everyone was already asleep. Her bedroom was not close to Love's, and was quite small, but her bed was comfortable, at least. On a corner, a table with a flower vase on top of it. Eas kept staring at the vase, and it reminded her of Northa's office at Labyrinth, so full of plants; Northa's desk did not have any important papers or books, only tens of flower vases. Eas looked at that flower, and it seemed to stare at her. She remembered Northa's merciless eyes and her cruel words. Do your duty, Eas. I know you are not doing it, Eas. How dare you abandon Labyrinth, Eas?

She got up, sweating. She could hear Northa's voice on her ears, and cold wind behind her. Try as she might, Eas knew, she could not abandon her duty. As much as she wanted to try and be happy, to be free of Labyrinth, she could feel Northa's vines creeping up, taking hold of her, grabbing her by the neck and strangling her as they pulled her back to that cold place that was her home.

"Remember, Eas," the words seemed so close to her, though they had been spoken a year ago, "that you are nothing but a tool of Labyrinth, a servant with no will. You will do as you are told, understood?"

"Yes," Eas said to herself in her empty room.

She got up and stood in front of that flower vase. She had hid her vial of sorrow when she accompanied Love, but she still had it. She poured two drops of that orange liquid on the flower, and it began to contort horridly, and its petals grew paler and paler until they were white, until the flower was nothing but a single enormous eye, staring at Eas.

"What is it, Eas? You haven't contacted me in a while." She heard a voice inside her head. Northa's voice, cutting her with its cruelty.

"I have managed to infiltrate the Precure Kingdom," Eas said with a sad pride. "I am now at the Palace of Smiles."

"And what have you achieved?" Northa said. Eas did not know why it still hurt her to not hear any praise, as she never got any from Northa, as she should have gotten used to it, but it hurt her nonetheless.

"Nothing yet," Eas admitted, "but-"

"Useless," Northa scoffed. "Oh, does that bother you? That's too bad, Eas. You have not followed your orders, have you? You have not found Infinity."

"I am looking for it! But Lady Haruna did not tell us anything of use, so I hoped to find more information here. Please, Lady Northa, believe me, I will succeed!"

"Oh, you had better. Lord Moebius is growing impatient. He's beginning to question your value…"

"No!" Eas almost screamed. "Please, no, please..."

"You had best not wait so long before you contact me again next time, or else Lord Moebius might think you have turned traitor..."

"No, please, Lady Northa!"

"Heh..." Northa laughed. "How pathetic you are, Eas. If only you weren't such a competent agent, Labyrinth would have no need for you. Tell you what, Eas, I think I might tell Lord Moebius that I fear you have grown fond of the Precure. What would he think?"

"I'm begging, Lady Northa. I am doing my best, I promise you I will deliver you my reports frequently, every night, just please don't make Lord Moebius think poorly of me."

"Very well, Eas," she said, her tone full of mockery. "I am very serious, though, when I tell you not to dare to betray us. Do keep in mind that your mother still lives in Labyrinth, and that your lifespan is still under our control. Do you understand that?"

"I do," Eas said. She already knew when she was going to die, when Labyrinth would have no further use for her, but she had not thought about it in a long time now. But she could not hide from the fact that her days were counted. It was so cruel; not long ago she thought herself free, she thought she could do what she wanted, but now she was reminded of how little control she had over her own life.

"Just in case it wasn't clear enough that we want you to find Infinity quickly, I had Klein make some alterations to your lifespan," Northa's voice was dripping with malice. "You have one month, Eas. That's when your lifespan will expire now, unless you do your work well. You have one month to find Infinity, or else your heart will stop beating and the cold will take you. One month, Eas," Northa said, and the flower wilted immediately.

Eas did not sleep that night. She could do her duty, or at least try to, and her reward would be the honor of serving Lord Moebius, as she was always taught to, or she could reject it all and be free for a month. That was, of course, assuming that Northa would not reduce her lifespan even more. One month, Eas thought, and it would all be over. The thought terrified her, and it seemed like she had no way out.

As if to mock her, the next morning was beautiful and happy, as birds chirped and the sun shone bright, and the Palace of Smiles was in revelry as Queen Beauty returned from her trip to Stormwall, with March by her side. The queen was so full of grace, and her smile was so serene and calming. Happy rushed to meet her, and whispered something on her ear. The three of them entered the palace together, and not much long later, Eas was summoned to the throne room.

Beauty sat on her high throne with Happy and March by her sides. Everybody else was there; Love, Hibiki, Kanade, Miki and Inori. They all greeted her with smiles.

"Hello, my dear Setsuna," Beauty was the first to speak.

"Your Majesty, I-"

"No need to call me Majesty, that's too cold, don't you think? Please, I'm Reika."

"R-Reika, how do you know my name?"

"Miyuki told me of your arrival, and she told me who you are. I, of course, did not want to waste any time before hearing you out on something of such importance. What have you to say?"

Eas repeated the same tale she had told Love and Sunny, and that she would have told Happy when she arrived. By now she already knew each word she was supposed to say, and did so flawlessly.

"Labyrinth..." Inori's voice was very worried. "What are they looking for here?"

"Nothing in particular," Eas lied. She could not risk them knowing that Labyrinth sought after Infinity. "We were only supposed to cause chaos and confusion and force the Precure Kingdom to react, leading the Precure to a trap where they would be killed."

"And where would that trap be?" March asked. "We must do something about it."

"Probably close to Silver Moon; it would depend on how the Precure Kingdom reacted to our presence."

"This is very worrisome indeed," Reika said. "I thank you, Setsuna, for doing what is right. I promise you that we will protect you and you will be safe from Labyrinth here, if you are branded a traitor and attempts are made against your life."

As if you can protect me from Northa, from Klein. Eas still nodded, though. She looked at all the Precure surrounding her, expecting their faces to be full of disdain for an agent of Labyrinth, or disgust, but they did not seem to look down on her; they smiled just as they would to anybody else.

"We will need your assistance if Labyrinth strikes again, Setsuna," March said. "Any information you share with us will be greatly appreciated."

"Oh, Nao, let us give her some time to breathe," Reika giggled. "We are not conscripting you or anything, we would just be very thankful if you could help us when we need you."

"I will help you as much as I can," Eas said. I will bring you down, that's what I'll do, even though it brings no pleasure to me.

The meeting was soon over, and Reika got down from her throne. She smiled at Eas before she left the room with Happy and March at her side. Hibiki and Kanade were the next; they said they were going to the music room, for they had much practice to do.

"Long time no see, Buki," Love hugged her friend. "How are the fairies?"

"Oh, I've taught them to dance and sing!"

"You mean I taught them to dance," Miki said.

"Well, that's true, but I'm the one who got them to listen to you! They'd never pay attention to anything if not for me, so I take half the credit!"

"Setsuna, this is my dear friend Inori Yamabuki. I just call her Buki, though, and so should you."

"L-Love, don't just go around telling people to call me by my nickname..."

"Don't be shy, Buki, Setsuna is a very nice person!"

Buki slowly raised her head to look at Eas in the eye, and she immediately lowered it again. That surprised Eas; somehow she had thought that all Precure were loud and extroverted, but clearly that was wrong.

"The Precure are stupid girls," Soular had said once, repeating what they had learned during their training. "Young and foolish, they are all easy to trick. They all love making friends, and they love talking about themselves."

Clearly he was wrong. That much was clear when Eas looked at that shy ginger girl who seemed to wither when eyes were on her.

"S-Setsuna, it's nice to meet you..."

"It's nice to meet you too, Inori."

"B-Buki is good enough," she said. "Love, Chiffon has been asking for you. She's sad that you still haven't come to visit her."

"Chiffon!" Love yelled. "Oh, dear, I had forgotten... And Tarte had even told me that he was going to see Chiffon once he got here..."

"Well, we can go now," Buki said. "You can come with us too, Setsuna. Are there fairies in Labyrinth? You might want to see them."

"Yes, I do," Eas said. Buki had now piqued Eas' interest. The only fairy she had seen was Tarte, and he did not look that different from any other small critter.

The corridors of the Palace of Smiles were always warm. Eas was not used to warmth; Labyrinth had been carved in cold stone, and day and night were chilly. Here, though, it was comfortable.

Eas took note of the soldiers she found on her way. The Palace of Smiles was enormous, so the guard was spread thin, but even so there were many guards, and if they all stood together, they could hold off a mighty invading force. But they could most likely not hold off the Nakewameke.

"Here we are, at the Fairy Chamber", Buki pointed to a large door. Beyond it was a spacious room with small trees and a pleasant smell. The ground looked like grass; Eas reached down to touch it, and it felt like grass as well.

"Chiffon, I'm here," Love called out the fairy. What Eas saw was unusual; a small fairy, floating around, making high-pitched noises that could not really be called words. The other fairies all seemed quite different from any normal animal, yes, but this one truly seemed special.

"She missed you, Love," Buki said. "Haven't you, dearie?" Chiffon made those noises again as she leapt on Love's arms.

"Hey, Chiffon, look, I brought a new friend!" Love held Chiffon and turned to face Eas. "Her name is Setsuna, and I'm sure you'll love to play with her."

The fairy yelled in glee and grinned. It was just a baby, Eas concluded. It was quite smaller than the others, too. Then she took a good look into its face, and Eas held back a scream. On its forehead was the symbol she had seen so many times during her training, or in the walls of Lord Moebius' great fortress. The symbol of Infinity.

"H-Hello," she tried to keep her cool. "Chiffon, is it? I look forward to being with you," she smiled, and the fairy extended her stubby little arms to her.

"She wants a hug, Setsuna," Buki said, and Eas embraced Chiffon. She could run away with her, she had Infinity in her grasp, all she had to do was take it. But she didn't; that would be too risky, and she could not bear to betray Love, not now. She felt like crying again; nothing she could possibly do was right.

That night, it seemed like all the warmth had left the Palace, and Eas was once again lost in her cold nightmares. She rolled around her bed, sleepless, full of doubts. She felt like she was being ripped apart; Northa's vines pulled one of her arms, while Love's kindness pulled her by the other, on one side the duty she was sworn to do, and on the other, a chance at happiness, short lived as it may be. She feared to even taste joy, as she did not know if she could bear if it was taken away from her. And she knew it would be taken away; she had, at most, a month to enjoy it, and once she learned to love her new freedom, how could she let go of it? Best not to be free at all, Eas decided. She had lived without happiness until now, so what right did she have to smile, to find bliss?

She called Northa once again. All that Eas wanted was to be told that what she was doing was good, that she should be proud of herself, but Northa never said that. Oh, how it hurt, to know that the decision she was making right now would ensure that she would never truly be happy, but what else could she decide? All the chances Eas might have had to get her happiness were stripped away from her at birth.

"I found it. Infinity. I found it. It's a small fairy, kept here at the Palace of Smiles."

"A fairy..." Northa said. "Yes, indeed, before Labyrinth was defeated by Cure Black and Cure White, our great source of power was this being we had named Infinity because of the limitless energy it could produce when it was in pain. Perhaps that fairy had a connection to the primordial forces of our world? Perhaps she might even be linked the World's Heart that the Precure talk about so much."

Eas had learned about the World's Heart, the mystical force that was responsible for transforming a girl into a Precure and granting her great powers. One could call it a god, except it was not a sentient entity, just the power that could be felt everywhere. Even the Precure Kingdom did not understand it very well, even though it was the very basis of its religion. They did know, though, that the World's Heart chose who could become a Precure, and it looked into their hearts for certain traits. If Infinity was linked to something so powerful, Eas could only wonder what might it held.

"Soon we will strike, Eas," Northa said. "By the end of the month, the Palace of Smiles will be burning, and all its inhabitants, dead. Take this, Eas," she said, and the eye in the flower stopped blinking, and it seemed to be frozen solid. "This is like the command crystal all agents of Labyrinth are given that allows you to control Nakewameke, but the beings you can create with this are far stronger. At a cost, though, as you feel their pain when they are hurt and you endanger your life when you use it. But if it all goes well, we will revert the alterations we made on your lifespan, and you might be able to live a long life in Labyrinth. Maybe not a healthy life, but that's just a pity, isn't it?" Northa laughed, and the flower turned to dust.

Eas grabbed the crystal and she wondered how to use it, but before she could examine it any further, thorny vines sprung from it. They latched onto her arm, the thorns piercing it, burrowing themselves deep into her skin. It hurt so much, and Eas could feel the vines moving inside her very veins. She grabbed her arm, begging the pain to stop, and she felt like ripping it off, but all she did was bleed and cry and contort on the floor. If it hurt so much for it to get in, she wondered how agonizing it would be for it to come out when she needed it.

She did not feel like sleeping, but tonight she was much too tired, and fell asleep on the cold floor. When she woke up, she was called by Love and Miki and Buki to take a walk around the castle gardens after they broke their fast. It was such a beautiful day, they told her. Eas just grinned and followed them. She should not get close to them, she knew it, it would only make her miserable when all the smiles died down and there was no laughter anymore, only tears. It would hurt, Eas knew, but would she ever have the chance to be happy again, if only for a few days?

But no matter how much she laughed, the pain did not go away, and every night she cried herself to sleep, wishing that things could have gone differently. Wishing that she could truly have a chance to get her happiness.


End file.
